Seven Devils
by Fanatic4Fiction
Summary: "Seven devils all around me, Seven devils in my house, See they were there when I woke up this morning, I'll be dead before the day is done." When Caroline begins to have mysterious dreams, it leads to the unraveling of her unlikely fate with Klaus, and ultimately, her devilish destiny as they fight to survive a greater evil. AU.
1. Chapter 1

Hey! I'm baaaaaaack! Sorry for the longest hiatus in the history of them. I thought about writing this fic about a couple months ago but I never had the right motivation... But tonight... I finished this thing! And I'm motivated again so, review and tell me if you liked it/hated it and want me to continue/just stop because I'm embarrassing myself. Anyways, enjoy and review!

**A/N: This is an AU story. A lot of things are different. For one, there's more magic involved. Caroline isn't a vampire- she's a "Witch". I say that because she isn't exactly like Bonnie in the sense of that word. More to come in the story development if you guys end up liking this.**

* * *

_MYSTIC FALLS GENERAL 11:22 p.m._

"Where is he?" Caroline frantically pushed through the blob at the front counter, eyes wild.

Liz Forbes, her mom, grasped her elbow. "Caroline... He's in surgery right now."

"He has to make it, right?" Caroline whispered in a fragile state. "Dad has to be fine. He said he would be fine, mom." her voice trembled in the last syllable and Liz sighed, pulling her only daughter into a tight hug.

"It doesn't look good, Caroline."

"Sheriff Forbes!" Matt spoke, towing Elena and Bonnie closely behind. "How is he?"

"Not too good, Matt." Liz answered. Caroline wiggled free of her mom's grasp, feeling a chill through her spine.

"Care?" Elena asked, seeing her friend's discomfort.

Caroline's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion as she got the urge to get out and go as far away as possible from the now smothering hospital. And there it was, that faint whisper telling her that she needed to go outside.

"I just- I just need some air," she croaked. It was almost zombie-like, the way she walked out of there. As if she had no control whatsoever of her movements or of the knowledge of where the hell she was going as she continued to walk on, soon entering the dark depths of the woods.

The whispering seemed to become more prominent as she grew closer to her unknown destination.

A twig cracked under her boot and the whispering ceased, snapping Caroline out of the trance. Thoroughly lost, she took in her surroundings, realizing she must've walked all the way to the site of the abandoned church.

"Well, this is creepy..." she mumbled, trying to figure out the path she'd taken to get there. Something behind her cracked and she spun quickly, facing the noise. It was no use; everything was pitch black except for the very faint moonlight.

"Well, I'm glad it finally worked."

Caroline gasped, turning to face the voice.

* * *

_EARLIER THAT DAY- MYSTIC FALLS HIGH 12:57 p.m._

"So, any idea if your dad's cancer is getting any better?" Elena asked, taking Bonnie's apple. Bonnie protested, failing at trying to retrieve it.

"Hey!"

Caroline sighed, shaking her head. "The doctors are doing everything they can. It's not looking any better- but," she took in a breath. "They did say that it looks like he'll be around for a bit longer, now. With all that chemotherapy."

Bonnie nodded. "Well, I'm glad you're taking this to your full advantage. What are your summer plans?"

Caroline smiled softly, "I'm thinking about going to see Rome with my parents. I've saved up enough money and I figured I could use the vacation... You know, one last time with my dad before he goes."

Elena nodded, fidgeting with the apple. "So, Bonnie. What did your Grams say about you getting home late last night?"

Bonnie's mouth dropped open. "God, don't remind me! She gave me like, the biggest speech ever about how I should've been more responsible. I was ten minutes late. Quick, somebody call a priest because I need to convert and become a nun."

"If you did that, you'd have to swear off boys forever." Caroline pointed out, laughing.

"I hate you, Caroline Forbes!" Bonnie complained, throwing a carrot stick at her. "And it was worth it. I think that I might finally have a long term guy by my side."

"Maybe. If your Grams doesn't scare him away with all that witchy talk." Elena commented.

Bonnie looked at her blandly. "That's not going to happen. I've already discussed that with her and she promised that she'd tone it down. She's just concerned about my well-being and the fact that she actually thinks we're witches."

"Maybe you are, it would explain why you're so smart." Caroline said. "Do you think you can dream up my Physics test answers? I'm dying here."

"Ha. Ha." Bonnie said sarcastically. "It's not funny. Grams really thinks that we're witches."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Is she still looped on the liquor?"

Bonnie nodded.

"Makes sense." Elena smiled brightly before looking beyond the heads of the overcrowded lunchroom. "There's Stefan. I've got to go."

"Yeah, abandon us to go make out with your boyfriend, Elena!" Caroline projected, earning a tight shush from Elena.

"He's such a god, that Stefan." Caroline mumbled. "I wish I had me some arm candy."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "And you will."

"Please, by the time I have a guy it'll be the _end _of something."

The dark haired girl looked at her friend with all consideration. "Or the beginning of something big."

"You're going to drive this whole 'witch' conspiracy to the ground, aren't you?"

Bonnie merely smiled.

* * *

"What did I say about a low profile?" Klaus growled, grabbing Kol by the collar of his shirt. Sometimes, his younger brother really could be a great pain.

"I was- you're the one making a huge deal about this, Nik." Kol managed to escape his older brother's grasp, moving so swiftly that he almost tripped over the girl's unconscious body. "I was hungry. You had me lying in a coffin for over a century. Excuse me if I wanted a meal."

Klaus shook his head. "Have you forgotten that we're not safe? Have you _completely _lost your mind?"

Kol rolled his eyes, "You're not my father. You don't get to tell me how to behave. Is that why you undaggered me? Want me gone?"

"No, Kol. I undaggered you because I figured I'd do something nice for once. Accept it, we're brothers and as much as you annoy the hell out of me,I need all of you to help me get rid of Devin and Garnet."

Kol grumbled, trying to smooth out the now wrinkled material of his shirt. "Those clowns again? I thought they'd be dead by now. How long has it been, brother?" Kol mocked. "A thousand years?"

"They were witches, Kol. Users of devilcraft. They have followers throughout the generations attempting to resurrect them."

"Resurrect? Please, you said so yourself that there wasn't a witch strong enough to do that."

Klaus's eyes shot him a look of suspicion and Kol's eyes widened.

"Dear god, you have, haven't you?"

Klaus remained silent as Kol laughed without humor.

"So I guess that's it, then? We're going to die."

"I won't let that happen to anyone in this family," Klaus growled. "Just because some witchy prophecy says something doesn't mean it'll come true."

Kol didn't look convinced but he dropped the subject, instead switching to a much less heavy topic. "So, who is this girl?"

"The witch?" Klaus reiterated.

Kol nodded. "Tell me, brother. How did you find this daughter of Artemis?"

"How does anyone find somebody? I have connections in the witch community."

"Who helped you, Niklaus?"

Klaus sighed, "An old Bennett witch. Sheila. I saved her life once, the least she could've done for me was find this one young girl."

* * *

"And if the mass is heavier, the greater an object will accelerate."

Caroline drummed her pencil against her notebook, looking out of the window and at the rainy sky. It was unusual that Mystic Falls would have such gloomy weather and she just couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to go down. She sighed, returning to her notebook full of sketches.

She bit her lip, using her pencil to darken the edges of a necklace. It was a simple necklace; just a cross and leathery cord. She didn't know why she'd been obsessed with it for the past couple of nights, it seemed to be a recurring theme in her dreams.

Dreams.

She shivered inwardly, looking up to make sure her teacher hadn't caught it.

Caroline had horrible nightmares full of howling wolves and monsters who lurked the night, craving blood. They came in disoriented flashes but what she could make out was a full moon, woods, and split second of that necklace. Who did it belong to?

She didn't have the slightest clue. All she knew was that it scared her to her core.

Thunder outside shook the glass panes on the windows, taking her attention to the moving trees outside.

"Caroline!" Elena whispered.

Caroline's green eyes looked at her friend and she smiled. "Hmm?"

"Tyler Lockwood is having a party tonight at his house, do you want to be my date?"

"What about Stefan?" Caroline asked.

Elena frowned. "He has plans tonight and I really don't want to show up all alone."

"My dad wants to hang out with me tonight," Caroline explained. Elena shot her a look of desperation and after a moment, Caroline cracked. "Well, I guess it can wait until tomorrow... Fine, I'll go to Tyler's party."

Elena smiled, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"You owe me big time, Elena." Caroline whispered back.

* * *

"We're going to wake up Rebekah?" Kol grouched, his hand closing his little sister's coffin. "The devil herself?"

Klaus sighed, debating whether or not it had been a good idea to undagger Kol. "Yes. Mind you, Rebekah actually serves as an asset."

"I take high offense to that remark," he snapped. "But think about it, Rebekah is unpredictable. And moody. And a _girl_."

"Good. So you two have something in common, then." Klaus slapped Kol's hand away. "Now get out of my way."

Klaus lifted up the coffin top, breathing in deeply, seeing his baby sister lifeless and gray. He'd never meant to leave her sleeping for so long but he had done it for her own good. It was his proclaimed duty to look after his siblings, after all, he was the hardest to kill. He reached in and quickly took the dagger out from her chest.

Nothing happened.

"What the hell is taking her so long?" Klaus grumbled.

"She's just being dramatic. Can we go and get something to eat, I'm starving."

Klaus glared at him. "Go out and find something to do, Kol. I've got bigger things to worry about than your own amusement."

Kol's deep green eyes narrowed. "Fine. And I'll have you know, brother. I'm very good at gathering information. Just saying."

Kol slammed the door shut on his way out. A few moments later, the door opened again.

"Back from your trip, already?"

"It's certainly good to see you, Niklaus."

Klaus turned slowly, coming face to face with his brother. "Elijah. I thought you were Kol for a moment," he tossed the dagger aside. "And next time you leave, you can take Kol with you. He's been pestering me ever since you pressured me to wake him."

Elijah shook his head. "I only returned because you said you found her."

Klaus blinked. "I believe I have."

"Believe? You haven't layed eyes on her yet?"

Klaus shook his head. "A witch friend informed me of her whereabouts."

"And that is..."

"She's in Virginia, in a little town called Mystic Falls. And you and I, brother, are going to retrieve her and keep an eye on her. She's the only one that can bring back those moronic sorcerers and we're going to make sure that doesn't happen."

"For the sake of our family." Elijah added.

Klaus blinked once. "For the sake of our family." he repeated.

* * *

"Mom, I'm going out!" Caroline yelled from the front steps of her house. Keys in hand, she moved to her car when her mom shouted out.

"Caroline, wait!"

She spun and faced her mother. "Yes?"

"You're going out tonight? I thought you were going to hang out with your father?"

Caroline shrugged. "Well, we can hang out tomorrow... A friend wants me to go to a party tonight."

Her mother frowned. "A party? Caroline..."

Caroline sighed. "Look mom, it isn't going to get out of hand, I swear. There won't be anything illegal at the party, either. It's at Tyler Lockwood's which means it's at the mayor's house."

"Still... You're father doesn't have a lot of time left, Care."

Caroline bit her lip, feeling guilt wash over her immediately.

_Stop it! You deserve a night out! For God's sake, you've been stuck inside your house for the past year, it's time to take time for yourself._

"I just want one night..."

"I know sweetie, but your father."

"Listen, mom. I get it. I understand completely that dad doesn't have... much time left," she choked out. "But ever since we found out that dad had cancer I've been stuck in this bubble and, honestly? I need some balance in my life. I can't keep isolating myself from the rest of the world."

"I understand where you're getting from, Caroline. But he doesn't have time anymore. Your friends will still be there after-" Sheriff Forbes stopped. "After he's gone."

"And so will I." Caroline stated weakly. "I don't ask for much but tonight, I'm getting out. I'm sorry." With that, she climbed into her car and drove off, guilt consuming her.

* * *

"What did your mom say when she found out you were ditching?" Bonnie asked Elena.

Elena sighed. "She didn't find out. My Aunt Jenna's covering for me again."

"Your Aunt Jenna is cool," Caroline pointed out, adjusting her hair. "I don't see why you complain about her."

"I only complain because she brings in guys from her college classes and... tutors them rather loudly."

Bonnie and Caroline giggled. The party was in full swing, lights, music, everything.

"What about your mom, Care?" Elena asked, sipping her drink and making a sour face. "This is too strong..."

"She gave me that guilt spiel. Honestly, I can't go one second without feeling bad for thinking of myself." Caroline shook her head and frantically filled her red cup with a drink. "But you know what? She's just going to have to get over that."

"Whoa," Bonnie whispered, hitting both Elena and Caroline's arms repeatedly.

"What, Bonnie?"

"Hot guy alert." Bonnie whispered, never taking her eyes off of the new guy with the golden brown hair and devilish eyes. "I've never seem him around here before."

"He's hot." Elena said, drinking again. "Definitely not from around here."

"I call dibs!" Bonnie said quickly.

"Whoa, there!"Caroline said. "I thought you were having a fling with quarterback guy?"

"Ugh, no way. He made out with Kerry Kruikshaw this morning. Screw him."

"Thought you already did that, Bonnie." Tyler interrupted.

Bonnie made a disgusted look on her face before walking towards her mystery man.

Tyler turned to Caroline. "Hey Caroline."

Caroline nodded and smiled. "Nice party. Bad taste in music, though." She noticed that his eyes raked over Elena, who ironically, didn't notice right then. "Still a man-whore, Ty?"

Tyler feigned hurt, turning on his full flirting charm. "Ouch. That was a low blow, even for you, Caroline. I thought the Queen Bee was dead- just like your future."

"You're one to talk. You're still momma's little boy. Or are you still taking party tips from the stoners?"

Tyler shook his head. "Well, what would you classify as good music?"

Caroline made her best bitch face. "Not this crap. Then again, you always favor Vicky's opinion over anyone else's so..."

Tyler hit another mood swing, leaning in closer to her to whisper, "That's not what you said last year in the back of my car."

Caroline's eyes filled with angry tears as Elena gasped. Her and Tyler's hookup had been a secret for a reason. She had been the stupid one to believe his empty promises and false sweet words. He was the first guy she'd done it with and he'd laughed in her face afterward, telling his buddies every detail. Ever since then, Caroline had tried to avoid him as much as possible. All he cared about was his stupid social status and his conquests.

"Screw you," Caroline managed to say, walking away as quickly as she could. Elena chased after her when she felt her phone vibrate.

"Hello?" Caroline sniffled away the tears.

"Caroline. You need to come to the hospital right now. It's... It's your father." Caroline gulped, ending the call and informing Elena, who luckily, found Matt and asked if he could take them to the hospital.

Caroline quickly located Bonnie who was talking with her mysterious man. He would have to wait.

"Bonnie, we have to go. It's my dad, he's in the hospital!"

Bonnie nodded, turning briefly back to the guy. "I'm sorry, my friend needs me right now... Um, sorry. What's your name?"

The guy smiled seductively, "Kol."

Bonnie smiled. "Oh. Well, it was nice talking to you, Kol."

* * *

_THE ABANDONED CHURCH SITE ~Present time~ 11:59 p.m._

Caroline gasped, facing the stranger. She had long dark brown hair and was wearing a strange tunic.

"Who- Who are you?" Caroline stuttered, shaking with fear.

"That isn't important now, child. What's important is that you fulfill your destiny. Awaken us, daughter of Artemis and you shall be spared."

"What the hell are you talking about, lady? Who is Artemis and awaken who?!"

The woman's black eyes pierced into Caroline's light green ones. "Do as you are told, young priestess and you will live. Awaken my brother and I from our everlasting slumber!"

Lightning illuminated the scenery, revealing the stone platform Caroline had seen in her dream.

"I don't know what you're talking about! What are you?"

"That isn't of your concern. If you want to survive, hand over your blood and say these words:

_Expergiscere caliginis, et lux_

_gemini caelorum_

_erit enim immensa, nox_

_Cum hoc vitae essentia,_

_Vita fit mors"_

Caroline's eyes darkened slightly, the gibberish feeling seemingly familiar. But from where? That was the question.

"Do this and I shall spare your father."

Caroline's eyes snapped at the woman's. "Spare? As in.. Save him?"

"Yes." The woman held out her hand. "Come forth, child."

She shook her head. "No. This isn't real. You aren't real. I'm hallucinating from the hysteria and the alcohol." she ran a hand through her hair. "This isn't happening."

Another strike of lightning made Caroline jump.

"Now you insolent girl! There isn't much time!" The woman's eyes were frantic. "I've seen your deepest desires. You want someone to care for you the way you care for your friends and family. You feel as if you could disappear and nobody would care, is that right?"

Caroline gulped, tears stinging her eyes.

"You keep up this charade of strength when really, you're a scared little girl waiting for a purpose; waiting for something to fight for. I've seen it all, Caroline. And by assisting me you can finally have a purpose- a destiny to fulfill."

"How? You're not real!"

The woman smiled. "Dearest Caroline, everything you know. Everything you once believed; you're foundations, friends, family... It's about to change, whether you're prepared or not."

She held out her hand once more.

"So I ask again, come forth, child. Take hold of your fate."

There was another crunch of leaves, snapping the spell. "Now, come on, Garnet. Stealing my girl already, aren't we, love?"

* * *

Yay, or nay? Leave me a review telling my your opinion!

-Fanatic4Fiction


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two? So soon? I just want to get the ball rolling :P**

**I hope the first chapter wasn't too confusing. I really, really (x1000) appreciate the feedback! As for the character voices, I'm trying my best ^_^ Writing TVD fanfiction is hard for me because I don't usually _do_ much with it. I'm usually just a reader for Vampire Diaries fics. Anywayyyyyyy... Leave a review telling me your opinions! Enjoy!**

* * *

"Niklaus, how nice of you finally make an appearance," the woman said in an unamused tone.

Klaus stepped forward, his eyes briefly darting at Caroline, who was still standing still-completely frozen.

"You alright, my dear?"

Caroline opened her mouth then closed it again, opting to nod once. He was unlike anyone she'd ever seen. This man, Klaus, was it? He gave off this aura. He was magnetic. She couldn't stop staring at him because he just looked _so _familiar...

But from _where?_

Her mind felt foggy as she sifted through her memories, her dreams. Nothing came up but he just... She just felt like they'd met before. It was impossible but she couldn't shake the feeling.

Klaus turned back to face the strange woman he'd called Garnet. "All alone, I see. Where's Devin?"

Garnet never took her eyes off of Caroline's frightened expression. "He's still... Asleep, if that's how you want to look at it."

"Shame. What I would have given to see his idiotic face shrivel in despair as I ruined yet another one of his grand plans."

"Do not intervene, Niklaus. This girl has a duty to fulfill whether you like it or not."

"Do you really believe she's strong enough to handle the both of you?" Klaus shot back. "She doesn't have a clue who she is, much less how to do something as complicated as resurrecting you and your brother."

"That's the one thing about you Niklaus. Your impulse to underestimate others. Now, step aside. Time is running out."

Garnet moved to edge closer when Klaus suddenly flashed to stand right in front of Caroline. His hand moved her directly behind him.

"What's going on?" Caroline whispered frantically.

Klaus didn't even turn to look at her when he said, "She may be a spirit but I've seen what she can do from the Otherside. Stay close and when I tell you to run, you run, understand?"

She breathed in faster and more shallow. "Y-Yes."

The ghost lady, er, Garnet, seemed to float above the ground as it began to shake prominently. Caroline gasped as the earth parted, cracking slightly around them. There was a faint howl before more strangers appeared from within the dark depths of the woods.

The howl. The earth shaking. She looked up to see the full moon in all its glory, her heart skipping a beat as she realized this connected with her recurring dream. If she hadn't been scared before, she definitely was now.

The strangers stepped forward- only there was something terribly wrong with their faces. They contorted until their noses began to shape like a muzzle. They moaned in agony as their bones began to crack and Caroline screamed when she made eye contact with one of them- their eyes turning a sickly yellow.

Wolves.

Werewolves to be more specific. She heard the man, Klaus, curse silently before telling her to run- to head through the empty patch of woods behind them.

"You're sure?" She whispered as they edged closer.

"Absolutely," he spun her around quickly in the direction she was meant to go, giving her a push as she gave it her all and sprinted the hell out of the horror scene.

Behind her, she could still hear the wolves cry in pain as Garnet gave a faint cackle. She didn't know how this Klaus was going to hold up to monsters like those but she kept running through the darkness until her sides burned and lungs couldn't take any more. Caroline blindly found a tree to lean against as she tried to catch her breath.

Another cold sensation made its way up her spine and she gulped.

"Caroline..." Garnet's voice whispered.

Caroline's eyes widened with fear, knowing that the strange woman was near. "What do you want from me?" she yelled into the darkness.

"You know exactly what I want from you," she whispered again.

Caroline shook her head, panic eminent in her voice, "No, I don't! Leave me alone you freak!"

Garnet's voice chuckled in Caroline's head and she grasped either side, shutting her ears but it was no use. Her body slid down to the ground against the tree trunk.

"Ugh, just stop!" Caroline pleaded. "This isn't real. This isn't real."

A cold wind picked up as the air grew colder near her. When Caroline opened her eyes, she came face to face with Garnet's haunting expression. She screamed, moving her hands frantically in front of her until the image dispersed.

She shot up shakily, continuing to blindly walk through the jumbled woods. She needed to get back to the hospital. She needed to escape this nightmare, this horror house.

A low growl stopped her from going any further. Caroline froze, her eyes darting in every direction until the pale moonlight revealed a set of glowing yellow eyes. She shook her head, backing up slowly. When she felt it right, she turned to start running again but instead tripped over a fallen tree branch.

_Great. _She thought. _Smooth, Forbes. _

The wolf edged near her, getting ready to launch at her when a blur attacked it from the side. It yelped until it ceased to move. When there was no more sound, she focused on what had attacked the wolf. It was that guy. But when he turned to face her, her eyes widened in fear at what she saw. Klaus's chin was dripping in crimson liquid, his own eyes a golden color. Below his eyes it looked like veins were popping out. Her eyes stared at his teeth. But they were no longer regular human teeth- they were fangs.

Caroline blinked, shaking her head, crawling away from him.

"Please, don't hurt me." she whispered. After a few seconds, Klaus's face returned back to normal.

"I'm sorry you had to see me like this but please, don't scream." he edged closer and she held out her hand, motioning him to halt.

"Stop! Don't get any closer. Just let me go."

Klaus shook his head, "Caroline... I now this looks insane-"

"Completely." She added.

"But you have to listen- you have to understand what just happened tonight."

"No." she answered sharply. "This isn't real. This is another one of my crazy dreams and any minute now, I'm going to wake up from this nightmare and everything will be fine. You aren't real."

Klaus lowered himself down to her level. In that one movement, his necklace hung out, catching Caroline's eyes.

His eyebrows scrunched in confusion as this girl's green eyes went from fear to confusion, to realization. They slowly moved up to meet his, her lips muttering only a few words.

"It's you."

"What?" he asked.

Caroline blinked rapidly, feeling lightheaded as her dream became a slow reality. It hadn't been a dream because somehow she'd foretold her future. That's why she had let him take charge back there. In her dream, she remembered a man defending her against the darkness- her protector.

_But this isn't a dream. This is the real world where magic, ghosts, and werewolves don't exist!_

Her mind felt fuzzy, heavy as she began to lose consciousness. All of the adrenaline was gone from her system, making her tired. She opened her mouth, her head turning to the side in puzzlement. "Who are you?"

Klaus watched as her eyes rolled to the back of her head before she was completely passed out cold.

This was his witch. The foretold chosen one that would either bring salvation or destruction to both worlds.

And she had absolutely no idea who she really was.

_This isn't going to end pretty, _he thought sourly, moving to carry Caroline's sleeping body up off of the ground with ease.

Garnet had failed tonight but that wouldn't stop her from coming after Caroline again.

_No matter_. he thought. _I'll have to look after her. _

He looked down at her sleeping face. She looked so innocent, so naive of the truth. Tonight she'd seen the tip of the iceberg and already he could tell it had been too much for her. He began to wonder if she could ever learn to accept her heritage. Could she survive in the supernatural world?

* * *

"This is the girl?" Elijah asked again as Klaus placed Caroline's sleeping body in an empty bed.

"For the last time Elijah, yes. This is her."

Elijah studied Caroline for a moment. "She's exquisite, Niklaus."

"She also has no idea that she's a witch." Klaus finished.

"Shame. At least you saved her from the likes of Garnet."

"It wasn't without a fight, believe me. That witch called werewolves."

"She called wolves?" Rebekah chimed in, an angry expression plastered on her face. "She's dead. Last time I checked, ghosts couldn't do that."

"She's gathering more power on the Otherside if she's strong enough to have her own wolf minions."

Rebekah's blue eyes darted to Caroline. "And what do you suppose we do with her? Keep her?"

"Exactly." Klaus said, grabbing a clean coat from a closet. "I have to run a few errands. Make sure she doesn't leave when she wakes."

"We can't keep her Nik! She'll have people looking for her!" Rebekah called out but it was no use. "He is so stubborn."

"You're one to talk." Elijah commented, shoving his hands in his pockets before walking off.

* * *

"Bonnie!" Elena shouted. "Have you seen Caroline?"

Bonnie shook her head. "I was hoping that maybe you had found her. She's not answering any of my calls..."

Elena's sympathetic brown eyes stared at her best-friend. "Do you think she...?"

"No." Bonnie quickly answered. "My Grams would've known if something supernatural had happened to her."

Elena sighed, running a hand through her hair. "We should've told her when we found out. I should have told her about Stefan-"

"And I should have told her about magic?" Bonnie added whimsically. "Elena. This is _Caroline_ we're talking about. You know how fragile she's been for the past year. She wouldn't have handled it well."

Elena nodded. "I know, it's just... I can't help but feel like we could've helped more."

"I know. I feel bad too but give her time. Caroline always pulls through. No matter what."

"God," Elena huffed. "Where the hell could she be?"

* * *

Klaus arrived to his destination just as the sun was beginning to rise. He eyed the house warily before walking up the steps, one by one. When he came to the door, he knocked instead of ringing the doorbell.

The door opened slowly.

"Sheila."

Sheila Bennett sighed, blinking with tired eyes. "Klaus. To what do I owe this... Displeasure?"

"Always the sassy one, I see." Klaus stated. "I have Caroline."

Sheila stepped forward slightly. "You have who?"

"Caroline. I know that wasn't initially the plan but Garnet found her first."

Sheila gulped. "Did she manage to...?"

"No, no. I managed to get there just in time to stop it from happening. Rest assured that Devin is still dead."

"Thank you," she said. "But you realize you can't keep a teenager hostage in your mansion, right?"

Klaus smirked. "Yes, I realize that entirely. I just came to inform you that you should start telling her who she is. It's not helping anyone if she can't defend herself."

"I know. But with everything the child has been through... I couldn't find the courage."

"A little mishap hasn't stopped me, it's no excuse." he stated blandly, also stepping forward slightly. "She's an important asset to me, Sheila. She's the key to keeping me and my family safe from those two conniving devils. I've waited a thousand years for this. Don't screw it up because you felt sorry for her."

"You may be an Original but I'm not afraid of you," Sheila bit back. "You should know better than to threaten a Bennett witch."

"I saved your lineage, Sheila. I think you should know better than to break a deal with me."

"I'll uphold my side- but not for you. I'll train Caroline myself so that she learns to protect herself from you."

"You really don't trust me?" Klaus asked.

Sheila smirked. "Of course I don't. You might be half wolf but you're still a vampire."

* * *

_Caroline was dreaming again._

_It wasn't a nightmare like her usual dream. This one was a good thought- it was calm, it was familiar._

_She dreamed of the stranger in the woods, Klaus. His face wasn't contorted, in fact, he seemed kind of sad as she walked to him quickly._

_"Who are you?" She reiterated her previous question. _

_Klaus stared at her with solemn eyes. "You should know, Caroline."_

_Caroline shook her head. "But I don't and if you do, I really need you to tell me. Explain to me what's happening."_

_"I'm not sure how much I can tell you right now. If I reveal too much, it'll unbalance your time period."_

_"My time period?"_

_Klaus leaned forward, close enough where their chests touched. His lips pressed against Caroline's forehead before he placed his own forehead to hers. _

_"I let you down."_

_"What?" Caroline asked, lost._

_"I let you down but know that I cared about you- that I'll _always _care about you. No matter how much you'll grow to hate me."_

_Caroline closed her eyes, feeling warmth. She hardly knew the guy... Then why did her heart beat faster with his every word? It's as if she'd known him all her life because the way he affected her was too surreal._

_"I don't- I don't understand... This isn't real."_

_She felt him chuckle. "It is. You have no idea how much I want to tell you that this is all myth- that those horror stories your father used to tell you aren't real... But they are. Caroline, you have to hold on. You have to fight for what you want the most."_

_"I don't know what you're going on about." she stated sharply. "I just wish I could get some answers."_

_Dream Klaus squeezed her arms once. "I know. And you will in due time."_

_Dammit. Caroline thought dizzily. No one would answer anything that she asked and it was beginning to frustrate her and scare her all at the same time. There was a muffled noise in her right ear and she squinted, puzzled._

Caroline gasped as her eyes shot open to come face to face with Rebekah's curious blue eyes.

* * *

"I couldn't get her to do what you wanted me to," the young girl whispered in fear. The candles around her flickered with the sudden chill.

"You couldn't accomplish a simple task such as getting her to resurrect us?" a male voice echoed.

"I wasn't strong enough to keep Garnet on this side long enough and..." The young witch shook her head, eyes closed. "He was there. Klaus."

Garnet chuckled darkly. "Yes, yes. Niklaus. The stubborn one."

"Damn fool. He is still trying to stop us."

Garnet's voice floated faintly. "He's grown stronger."

"Of course he has. A thousand years of running from his own father did him justice."

"Devin-" Garnet began.

"Do not state what I already know." Devin hissed. "Under the circumstances and to his current knowledge, Mikael is his father, not me."

The young girl listening in to the spirits talking squirmed slightly. She wondered if it was even a good idea to be scheming with two of the darkest souls on the Otherside. After all, devilcraft was so risky- so easy to become an addiction... "The young priestess doesn't seem to have a clue who she is, master," she said at last.

Garnet replied, "It's true. She has no clue who she is."

"Then it should be easier to manipulate her at this point since she does not know who to trust."

Garnet chuckled. "Then we will try again tonight when the moon has reached its apex."

* * *

**So? Like it? Hate it? You wanna just chunk this page in the garbage? **

**Tell meeeeeee :))**

**-Fanatic4Fiction**

**A/N: Happy Thanksgiving! **


	3. Chapter 3

**_Disclaimer: I don't own TVD nor the characters._**

**_I'm a horrible person for not updating when I should have. I wanted- I really did but alas, my grades needed some serious help. And then I had exams. Then I had projects and piles of homework. Then I got the flu. Now I'm here, typing this and feeling bad for not updating but I hope, I pray, most of you are still wanting to read this story. I have two weeks off from school and I plan to keep updating! I promise! Just, please, let me know what your thoughts are about this chapter because it's crucial. Thanks and don't forget to review_**!

* * *

Before Caroline could muster up words, Rebekah shushed her, holding up a lone finger.

"You're a strange little thing..." Rebekah chimed. After a few moments of staring at Caroline, she pulled back, a satisfied smile on her face. "Not bad. Now, how much do you know already?"

Caroline's eyes shifted incredulously. "Uh- about what?"

Rebekah frowned. "About Garnet. About Nik. About yourself."

Her eyebrows scrunched. "Is Garnet that ghost lady?"

The vampire sighed, nodding.

"Who's Nik?"

Rebekah's eyes widened_. How in the dark is this girl?_ She thought bitterly and with great frustration. "Niklaus. Klaus... He brought you here last night when you were in the woods."

Caroline bolted up quickly, her head turning frantically. "Last night?" she searched her pockets for her phone, to no avail. "My mom is going to kill me!"

Rebekah groaned. "That's the least of your problems now sit down!"

"Who are _you_?" Caroline asked.

"I'm Rebekah. Klaus's sister. But that's not important right now. I need you to tell me how much you know concerning what happened last night."

"I- I don't really know." Caroline answered. "I wandered into the woods and all of a sudden there's a freaking ghost in front of me."

"What did the ghost want?"

"She kept talking about waking up some other ghost named... De-"

"Devin. Yes, what else?"

"She wanted me to say something in some weird language. I- I honestly don't know what the hell she was talking about."

"Caroline," Rebekah pressed. "Do you have any idea what you are?"

Caroline's eyes blinked in confusion and she shook her head. "What do you mean? I'm a person- I'm human."

"No, Caroline. You are about as human as I am."

"What? What do you mean-?"

Rebekah let her face vamp out, opening her mouth to show off her fangs. Caroline recoiled instantly, fear-stricken.

"Get away from me!"

Rebekah rolled her eyes, shifting her face back to normal. "Calm down, I won't hurt you. You're too important to kill as of right now."

"What are you?" Caroline asked again with caution. When Rebekah didn't answer, Caroline repeated furiously, "_What are you_?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Rebekah questioned back with a bit of sass.

Caroline's clear and frightened eyes shifted, "It's not possible... It's not..."

Rebekah sighed. "For God's sake," she licked her own lips. "I'm a vampire."

"Vampires- Vampires aren't real."

"That's a dirty rotten lie." Rebekah explained. "All of those myths- those scary stories are real, Caroline. And guess what? You just happen to be stuck in the middle of all of it."

"Do not scare the child even more," another voice interrupted. Both blondes turned and Caroline's mind only got more confused.

"Mrs. Bennett?!" she exclaimed.

Sheila Bennett nodded, walking forward. Behind her followed Klaus.

"What are you doing here? Wait- first of all, where is here?"

Sheila sighed, taking a seat in the nearest couch. "A mansion just outside of Mystic Falls. Don't worry Caroline, as far as I can tell, these vampires won't hurt you."

"Mrs. Bennett, what's going on? Why am I here?"

"You were in danger, Caroline. You still are." Sheila crossed her legs. "Caroline, you must first keep an open mind, am I clear?"

Caroline nodded slowly.

"The supernatural world- the scary stories you heard as a child- are very, very real. Beings of the otherworld live among us. It's all true."

Caroline gulped, looking at Rebekah. "So, you really are a vampire?"

Rebekah showed off her perfect teeth. "In the flesh."

"Vampires," Sheila began. "Werewolves. Witches. Spirits. Demons," she looked at Klaus. "Even hybrids exist." she looked back to Caroline. "You, dearest Caroline, are a witch."

Caroline's jaw dropped, "A witch?"

"Very much so."

"But how? Shouldn't I have, you know, been able to do witchy things like make the lights flicker when I throw a tantrum or something?"

_Unbelievable_. Caroline thought. _This isn't the truth- they're lying. They're all crazy... Absolutely insane!_

"There's so much to witchcraft that you don't know. And I wish I couldn't taught you sooner- but I assumed your father was teaching you."

"_My-My dad_?"

"He's the witch in your family, Caroline. You're half-witch. And a special one."

"Special how?"

"Your father is the first and only male witch to be born of the Forbes family line. Your blood, Caroline, is special. It's one of a kind."

"Nothing you're saying makes any sense."

"Be patient, child and I will explain as much as I know." Sheila said. "Your father comes from a line of witches and, consequently, dark and the purest of forces."

"Dark... Forces?" Caroline croaked dryly.

"Demons." Rebekah answered. "She means demons. Uncontrollable beings that were, _are_, power hungry."

Caroline snapped back to Sheila. "Demons?!"

"Be patient, Caroline," Sheila said. "Yes, demons exist. And where there are demons there are angels."

The blonde teenager huffed, "Unbelievable."

"You, Caroline Forbes," Rebekah interjected. "Are both angel and witch. Neat, isn't it?"

"You have angel and witch blood coursing through your veins, Caroline. This gives you immense power and capabilities. Including the capability to free those from the Otherside-"

"Otherside?"

"A place witches describe as not Heaven nor Hell."

"So... Like limbo?" Caroline guessed.

"In a way, yes."

Klaus cleared his throat and Caroline jumped a bit. She had almost forgotten he was in the room, arms crossed. "And that's exactly why Garnet and Devin need you, you're the only witch alive that possesses the capability to fully resurrect beings from the Otherside."

"And they're bad because?"

"Because they're trying to kill us." Rebekah answered before Klaus could. "And let's be honest, nobody here wants to die."

"But if I'm the only one who can... Resurrect them," Caroline said. "Then why are you two fearing for your lives? They're stuck in limbo, right? They can't hurt you."

"That's where you're mistaken," Sheila answered before Klaus or Rebekah could open their mouths to rebut Caroline's questions. "The Otherside works in complicated ways. Although you are the only one that can bring them back to life- that doesn't stop other powerful witches from allowing them temporary passage to this world. They're spirits, they can possess anyone they want and with that, they can hurt them. That's why they're afraid."

"Okay, but why am I here?"

Klaus answered before Sheila could this time. "Because we weren't the only ones looking for you, Caroline. There are others out there- those still loyal to the practices of Devin and Garnet."

"Listen- This might be all good and sound for you guys but it's just a bit too crazy for my taste," Caroline started. "This is... A lot to take in."

_And a total lie. A dream. An illusion._

"Which is precisely why we _need_ you to stay here- where you're safe," Klaus retorted.

"Well," she sassed back. "When can I go home? My mom needs me-my dad _needs_ me."

There was a moment of silence before Caroline gasped, suddenly shooting up from her spot on the sofa. "My dad... He's-He's in the hospital! I need to be there for him!"

Sheila stood up, grabbing a hold of Caroline's shoulders tightly. "Calm yourself, Caroline. Your father isn't dead yet. You need to recollect yourself before you do something you'll regret."

"What-?" Caroline began before realizing how dizzy she was. She tried her hardest to focus on Sheila, breathing in and out before finally making her heart beat normally. These panic attacks were a common thing for her. But they hadn't happened in a long time. The last time they had, Caroline had been out with Bonnie and Elena by the Wickery Bridge the night she'd gotten the news about her dad's condition.

"Please, Mrs. Bennett." Caroline begged. "Take me with you. I need to see him."

Sheila looked to Klaus's unyielding eyes and reluctantly looking back to Caroline. "I'm so sorry, Caroline. You have to stay here until the full moon passes completely. Until then, you're in so much danger."

Caroline bit the inside of her cheek. She was so confused-her mind couldn't get a hold on what was happening. One night she was Caroline Forbes and today, she was suddenly Caroline, the half-witch, half-angel.

_Witch. Angel._ Two words Caroline had only heard about in books and movies. Never had she thought that they could actually exist. But they did and she was one of them.

_What would my mom think? _she pondered._ Am I a freak? A monster?_

Her soft panicky eyes shifted from Sheila's brown ones to Klaus' unyieldingly striking eyes. She immediately withered under their authority.

"Okay," she agreed at last with defeat. There was no point in fighting them. Apparently the decision had already been made. Caroline wouldn't leave today or anytime soon as long as the stupid moon was full.

* * *

"The child knows." a voice echoed in the pale light.

The abyss was misty, like something out of a movie whenever they attempted to place a picture of Heaven.

Another voice, female, answered. "Should we take action? Her knowing this puts her in grave danger."

"If we did not believe that she could stop the spawns of the dark lord we would not have given her the power to defeat them and sent her to Earth in the beginning."

"She is ignorant- weak. Perhaps it was a lack in judgment on our part."

The first voice spoke with an offended clip in his voice, "Do you insinuate that my decision was wrong?"

"I insinuate that perhaps your decision was not timely. The girl is not ready for this- she's just a child!"

"Then it is time she learns the sacrifices to be made so the world remains balanced. Garnet and Devin shall not win. If they win, we will have failed. And mark my words, the Elders do not fail."

* * *

Rebekah was giving Caroline a tour of their mansion the minute Sheila walked out of the door. Unlike Caroline, Rebekah seemed somewhat excited about having Caroline stay there. Something about being stuck with all brothers...

"And this is your bedroom for the time being." Rebekah said, opening the dark wooden door swiftly.

Caroline blinked, her eyes meeting a classically schemed bedroom. The walls were painted a soft beige, the furniture was a mix of warm tones and the bed was... huge. But possibly what caught Caroline's eyes the most was the terrace, separated only by two French doors.

She took a deep breath, stepping inside as Rebekah showed her the rest of the goods. "And here's your own bathroom- if you use all the hot water the way Kol usually does, I will rip your throat out."

Caroline gave her an incredulous look and Rebekah rolled her eyes. "I was joking."

"Oh." Was all Caroline managed to say. After Rebekah seemed satisfied with her tour, she left Caroline alone in the bedroom.

Gingerly, she carefully sat down at the edge of the bed, her hand immediately falling to her necklace. Her dad had given it to her when she'd been a baby-it was the only item Caroline could connect with.

She wanted more than anything to be by his side because she knew, she knew he didn't have much time left. And it hurt her knowing how ignorant she'd been and how selfishly she'd taken for granted her family. Her eyes shut, thoughts floating back to the night her parent's had told her about his sickness.

_Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline stumbled to the bridge, tipsy from the earlier party. It'd been exactly six months since Elena's parents had died in the car accident, and although Caroline and Bonnie had been reluctant to bring her here, Elena had insisted desperately. She kept mumbling about needing closure._

_Whatever that meant._

_While Elena mumbled to herself at the edge of the bridge, Bonnie and Caroline kept their own conversation up._

_"What was that at the party?" Bonnie asked. She was a little less drunk than Caroline or Elena and Caroline could tell by the seriousness in her brown eyes._

_"What was what?"_

_Bonnie put her hands on her hips, "What was that thing with Tyler?"_

_Caroline bit her lip. "We sort of... Slept together."_

_"Caroline!" Bonnie exasperated. "At a party? A place where you were drunk and not yourself?"_

_"I know, it was low of me but... I don't know, Bonnie. Tyler's always been there for me-"_

_"God, Care!" Bonnie said sharply, trying to talk sense into her brainwashed __best-friend.__ "How can you be so blind? He's just using you, again."_

_"Look, Bonnie." Caroline began. "I have never judged any of your boyfriends so please, shut up! You don't know Tyler like I do... He understands me..."_

_"How? Understands you, how?" Bonnie insisted._

_Caroline huffed, silent. She was trying to wrack her tipsy brain for responses but the more she pondered on it, the more she realized that Tyler and her never talked. It was always a heated sex session and that was it. Unable to come up with a good reason, she shrugged. "I don't know. He just does."_

_"Care," Bonnie started. Her tone softened down a bit. "Is this about your parents splitting up?"_

_"They are not split up." Caroline __defended__ quickly. _

_Bonnie didn't look convinced. "Your dad doesn't wear his wedding ring anymore-you even told me they sleep in different rooms now. Care, it's okay to talk about it-"_

_"Talk about what, Bonnie?" Caroline shouted, crossing her arms. "That the life I've known since like, forever is falling apart? How I can't seem to stop thinking about how other people feel instead of what I'm feeling, for once in my life? Or how I can't sleep knowing I'll have nightmares?"_

_Bonnie took Caroline into her arms, feeling that her friend was reaching a meltdown. Granted, it was easier because of the liquor but nonetheless, she'd gotten Caroline to unleash what she'd obviously been bottling up for some time now. _

_Elena came forth. "Caroline, your mom called me because she wants to know where you are."_

_Caroline pulled away from Bonnie's hug and frowned. "Why didn't she call me?"_

_Elena shrugged. Caroline felt her pockets and cursed, realizing she must of left her phone in Tyler's car. She took Elena's phone and answered into the receiver._

"Mom?"

_"Caroline," her mom began. "Your father and I have something important to tell you. Come home, now."_

_Caroline's heart beat increased with __slight__ anger. If they really were dropping the divorce talk on her, she didn't want any of it. "Just tell me right now. Not that it matters, anyway."_

_"What?" Her mom questioned._

_"You know 'what'. God, mom. Just spit it out already- you've clearly made the decision without me so-"_

_"Caroline!" Sheriff Forbes exasperated into the phone. "It's about your father. He's- He's not well."_

_"What the hell are you talking about, mom?" Caroline asked carefully. Her heart felt heavy and she felt a slight pain in the back of her head, her heart heavy. _

_There was a long pause. "Caroline. We'll talk at home."_

_When Caroline managed to get home..._

A knock on the door pulled Caroline out of her thoughts and she jumped off of the bed. "Come in."

It was Klaus. "I hope Rebekah wasn't too crazy on you."

Caroline shook her head. "No, no it she was great. Um, can I do something for you or...?"

Klaus cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable. "I was just checking up on you."

"I'm fine."

There was another awkward pause before Klaus nodded solemnly. "Actually, what I wanted to ask was if you understood the situation. If you knew exactly how important it is to keep you from them." he chipped off the last word and Caroline nodded.

"I think I get it. It's just weird for me right now." Caroline stared at the man in front of her. He was tall, lanky but from what she could tell, he had some muscles. His blonde hair looked as if he'd just rolled out of bed but it suited him. His blue eyes seemed piercing and ever-changing. One moment they looked gentle and when he'd mentioned Devin and Garnet, they seemed to electrify with obvious hatred. He cleared his throat, noticing that she was just staring.

"Sorry-"

"It's okay, Caroline." he said, seeing how awkward the situation was. There was something about the way he kept staring at her- like he was glad she was here, in front of him, alive. As if he'd been waiting all this time for her.

"I'm actually feeling kind of tired," Caroline stumbled. Klaus nodded with understanding and backed away slowly.

He stopped short in front of the door. "If there's anything you need, feel free to let any of the housemaids know."

Klaus exited out of the door and Caroline blinked, wondering just exactly what his deal was.

* * *

Outside the bedroom door, Klaus closed his eyes in frustration.

_Stupid._ He repeated in his head. _Stupid. Could you be any more idiotic and obtuse?_

A thousand years and he still couldn't face her without his damn heart betraying him every single time. She was exactly what he'd heard about- her angelic face was exactly as he'd remembered it that day the old apprentice of the Original Witch had shown him through the vision.

_"One day, Niklaus. One day you will realize and see how love can truly save a soul corrupted of the darkest desires," Aiana whispered, mixing ingredients for a cloaking spell. _

_"I'm not entirely sure of what you speak of, Aiana." Klaus answered back, his eyes glancing at Rebekah who was in the corner of the room, her curious eyes never leaving Aiana's work._

_"You saw, Niklaus." Aiana repeated. "I saw you staring at the image of the girl- of the witch who will either be your salvation or your destruction."_

_"If I let my eyes linger on the girl it would be to commit her face to memory," he said pathetically. _

_Rebekah snorted in the back. "Of course, Nik. Only you would make up a pathetic excuse for the fact that you found her pretty."_

_"Rebekah." Klaus stressed. Despite Rebekah being the younger sibling, Klaus felt like the immature one._

_"It's understandable," the witch said. "A young man of __marriageable__ age wanting a young woman he cannot have."_

_Klaus looked down. With his new vampiric senses, he could see every single grain of dirt that was on the ground. And yet, he still felt like his human self in the sense that he was still bashful over something as simple as a girl. Silly when to think that not only forty-eight hours ago his human self had died and been reborn into a vampire- a monster who couldn't feel._

_"You remain the same Niklaus," Aiana spoke softly. "You can keep up your guards but you still feel- I believe that to be true with you."_

_"You are wrong," he insisted._

He was Klaus and he wouldn't show anyone, let alone her, that she was his weakness. His only weakness because throughout the centuries, he'd learned how to be cruel, sadistic and cold-blooded. Hell, he'd even managed to dagger his siblings. To cause mass murders. To be the ruthless hunter. He was a vampire- a hybrid. A monster of a man who could not, would not, show vulnerability. Because as far as he knew it, the Klaus that felt affection had died the moment his father had stabbed him through the chest.

So then why did his heart refuse to be cold the second he laid eyes on her?

* * *

**_Leave a review telling me if you liked/loved/hated it!_**

**_-Fanatic4Fiction_**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Disclaimer: I don't own TVD. _**

**_Don't forget to review! Enjoy! :D_**

* * *

_Caroline dreamed of something entirely different that afternoon. Instead of her dark and dreary nightmares, she dreamt of a man. He was dressed in an all black tux and they were dancing. When she finally spun to meet his gaze, she gasped because it was Klaus._

_His eyes looked at her in a way she'd always hoped to be looked at- like he saw something was so rare and priceless._

Okay, now I know this is a dream, _she thought inwardly, although it seemed like dream Klaus might have heard her._

_"Tell me, love. Do your dreams always consist of dancing with me?"_

_Caroline opened her mouth but said nothing. She waited a few seconds before gathering up the courage to speak. "No- my dreams are usually a haze."_

A scary, confusing haze. _She retorted silently._

_"Then why is it that you chose to dream about me this time? To what do I owe the pleasure?"_

_"How can I be dreaming of you if I just met you?" Caroline asked, ignoring his question entirely. "I don't understand any of what's going on. All of a sudden the supernatural world is real." she bit her lip. "All of a sudden you're real... and a, what? Vampire and werewolf?"_

_Klaus smirked. "A hybrid, yes. And I realize this might be a lot to take in right now but," he paused, and for the slightest second, Caroline saw his hesitation. "You have to believe me. You have to trust me because that's the only way we're going to get out of this alive."_

_"Why do you keep talking like that?"_

_His eyes sparked suspicion. "Like what?"_

_"Like that," Caroline stressed. "You keep talking as if we already met before but I've never seen you in my entire life. I would have remembered." she gulped. "And that other dream I had earlier... You were in it and you kept talking as if we've been through something big already. Why?"_

_They both kept dancing, __letting__ Caroline's words sink in and for the briefest moment, her breath hitched as he pressed her up against him. Even in the dream, Caroline felt his warmth and the security his embrace provided her. He was a stranger... But why did every bone in her scared body feel like it belonged with him?_

_"Because I've seen you coming for the last thousand years, love."_

_"I'm not who you think I am." Caroline answered. She didn't want to dwell on the heaviness of his words- they seemed too intimate. "I'm not a witch. I don't have any powers- trust me."_

_"Caroline, have you ever tried using them?" _

_"No! Because I'm human. Ordinary. I can't be a witch. You made a huge mistake."_

_"If you really believe that, then try. Try so you can finally see who you really are. If you truly think I've made a mistake thinking you are a witch then please, by all means go ahead and try. Prove me wrong." He shook his head. "Maybe you can also come up with a reasonable explanation for those dreams of yours, as well. If you really think you don't have any powers."_

_They both stared at each other incredulously. Neither party was willing to wither. Finally Caroline nodded._

_"Fine. But only to prove to you that I'm not the girl you're looking for. Then I can go home."_

* * *

"The girl- she resides inside his mansion."

Garnet's image flickered slightly. The spell maintaining their ghosts on this side was beginning to lose its strength. That only made her all the more furious. "Then we must get her out of there."

"How? Klaus continues to watch over her like a dog." one of the male witches said.

Devin chuckled maniacally. "Then we will just have to bait her."

"With what?" the witch asked.

Garnet smiled alongside Devin. "With the one thing she loves the most: her father."

* * *

When Caroline woke up, the sun was beginning to set.

Wow. Only a few hours have gone by? she wondered, stretching from the bed and yawning slightly. She slipped on her shoes and moved towards the door. With caution, she turned the knob and peered out into the hallway by poking out her head.

The hallway was dark and alone and she shrugged as she walked into it, making sure to shut the bedroom door behind her. She still remembered the vague tour Rebekah had given her which is how she managed to find the parlor again. She saw Rebekah lying down on the couch, seemingly asleep.

Then Caroline took another step and the floor creaked slightly and suddenly Rebekah was up and awake, startled.

"God, you startled me." Rebekah said, running a hand through her hair. "Finally awake?"

"Where's Klaus?" Caroline asked tentatively.

Rebekah shrugged. "He went out to run a few errands. Why?"

"No reason." Caroline said. "So... Rebekah. How old are you?"

Rebekah smiled in amusement. "You can sit down on the couch, Caroline. I'm not going to yell at you or anything."

Caroline nodded. "Right..."

"I was seventeen when I died and turned into a vampire." Rebekah said. "So, naturally, I'm a thousand and seventeen years old."

"I'm seventeen, too." Caroline said. "Well... My birthday is in like, a month so I'm pretty close to eighteen."

Rebekah nodded. "My brother Kol was, er, is eighteen... Technically."

"And... Klaus?"

Rebekah's eyes shimmered. "My my, Caroline. All of these questions about Nik, I'm certain you're smitten with him."

Caroline opened her mouth. "I'm just curious."

"Take a guess."

Caroline shrugged. "I don't know... early twenties? Maybe twenty-four or twenty-five?"

Rebekah sighed, "Just about."

Another silence fell upon the two girls when Rebekah sighed. "I'm sorry if I'm not very talkative. I've been surrounded by my brothers for centuries and I'm not exactly used to talking alone with another girl."

"I get it," Caroline said, despite the fact that she didn't even have any other siblings. Well- not ones that she would count. Then there were her best-friends whom were _like _siblings to her... But not quite.

"I guess I've never really had much girlfriends before." Rebekah stated emptily and sympathy washed through Caroline. She felt bad for this other blonde girl- she was lonely. Aside from her brothers, she probably had never had anyone else.

Caroline clicked her tongue, "Well-"

The doorbell rang suddenly, its sound echoing throughout the space and Caroline shut her mouth.

Rebekah's blue eyes rolled. "Give me a second, it's probably one of those annoying door to door salesmen."

"They still have those?"Caroline whispered, watching Rebekah disappear.

Rebekah swung the front door open, expecting to see somebody on the doorsteps but there was nobody except a whooshing sound and then a sharp impact in her chest. She gasped, looking down at the stake protruding her body.

Dammit. She thought as her body began to desiccate. She landed on the floor with a loud thump, causing Caroline to run and see what had happened. What she saw made her scream. Rebekah's body laid there, limp and gray with the veins popping out. It made her sick and then suddenly there was a man on the doorstep.

"Caroline Forbes?"

Caroline said nothing and gulped instead. Every bone in her body screamed for her to run but she was frozen in place.

"You're coming with me on behalf of Garnet and Devin."

Caroline's mind felt fuzzy and suddenly, all she saw was a dark void.

* * *

"What?" Bonnie screeched at her Grams. Sheila had just explained Caroline's whereabouts and right about now, both Bonnie and Elena were freaking out.

"She's alone with him? He's an Original vampire!" Bonnie added.

Sheila stayed calm. "She'll be fine, Bonnie. Klaus won't hurt her- you have to know that already."

Bonnie's brown eyes glimmered. "Grams... She doesn't know about anything. I mean, what if those other witches managed to kidnap her again?"

Elena shook her head. "Bonnie, your Grams already said that Klaus would protect her- we have to believe that it's true."

"Why wouldn't he hurt her?" Bonnie questioned again. She turned to Elena. "Didn't you say that Stefan and Damon had told you about Katherine running from Klaus because he was a _sadistic murderer_?"

"Because he loves her." Sheila stated. "Even if he might not yet realize it."

Elena shook her head. "Okay, this may be because I'm not a witch and I don't understand all of the lingo but... What do you mean by that? How can he not realize he loves her?"

"And better yet, he just met Caroline so how could he fall for her overnight? Literally?" Bonnie stressed.

Sheila's wise eyes looked at the two girl's solemnly. "Because he's seen her coming, child. For the last thousand years he's known about Caroline."

"How?" Elena asked.

Sheila retrieved the Grimoire. "Because the Original witch and her apprentice- the root of the Bennett family line- Aiana, foresaw it."

Bonnie blinked. "They predicted Caroline?"

Sheila nodded, opening the old spell book to a darkened page. That's how old it was. "Aiana had a vision from the Otherside- it showed her a girl with fair hair who possessed magic older than anything she'd ever known. Angelic powers. This girl could speak the language of the Heavens."

"Angelic powers... Grams, you never told me this. You just said that Caroline was a witch."

"Yes. A witch, as Aiana saw, that could potentially restore the natural balance of nature and of both worlds by either saving or eradicating the vampire race."

"I still don't see what Klaus' feelings specifically has to do with this." Elena stated.

"Klaus is the Original hybrid. Vampire and werewolf." Sheila motioned to old drawings on the page. "For Caroline to fulfill her destiny and restore balance, she needs the Originals because their blood isn't diluted. A vampire, a witch, a hybrid."

"But the Original witch died. How can she pull that off?"

Sheila shook her head. "If only I knew the answer to that one, Bonnie."

* * *

Rebekah was still gray and, well... Dead when Klaus found her. His eyes widened at the realization that Caroline was gone and there was a faint scent of another witch.

Klaus swore silently and leaned down the yank out the stake from Rebekah's chest. A few moments later, she gasped, her eyes wide.

Rebekah coughed. "What happened?"

"You were staked and they took Caroline." Klaus answered.

"Nik..."

"What?" Klaus asked, tossing the stake in the fireplace. When he found the witch that took Caroline, he was going to rip their heart out.

"The moon. Nik- the moon reaches its apex in about an hour. We have to get her back before Devin and Garnet are summoned."

"I know," he growled. "Come on,"

* * *

Caroline's head was throbbing when she regained consciousness. She was lying on a stone floor and the room was stuffy.

"Finally," a voice echoed from the walls. Out of nowhere there was light as trails of fire erupted from thin air, startling Caroline.

"So this is the girl everyone's been making a big deal about?" a guy said- Caroline recognized him as the person who'd staked Rebekah and taken her hostage. "She doesn't seem like much."

"She might not but she is stronger than you, that much I can sense." A female voice hissed. Caroline's eyes shimmered slightly, knowing that the voice belonged to the ghost, spirit thingy- whatever it was- that had tried to get her to say something last night. What was her name?

"Garnet." the unfamiliar male voice hissed as well. "Enough. We must prepare to be summoned."

"I won't do it," Caroline rasped at last, her eyes looking all around the room. Her wrists were chained; she couldn't exactly make a break for it.

"You will if you want your father to live," Garnet countered.

Caroline's eyes darkened slightly with defense. "You wouldn't."

"We would. Now, unless you're willing to see your father's death, I propose that you do as we say, understand?"

Caroline said nothing which turned to be a huge mistake because the next thing she knew, her mind was hissing in a sharp pain. She let out a strangled scream.

"Will you do as you are told?" Garnet pressed on in a harsher tone.

Caroline wanted to cry. She was never accustomed to pain- big or small. With a desperate cry, she bit her lip and nodded. The pain ceased slowly and she opened her eyes again.

Another girl, a witch apparently, went and unclasped Caroline's chains and she let her arms drop with a thud. The girl grabbed at Caroline and hoisted her up.

"Stand up" the girl growled. She placed something in Caroline's hand.

Caroline willed her legs to stand and she was guided to the center of the room. She stood as the witch backed up, nodding. The room felt... Cold. Desolate. Wrong.

_Say the words, child. Say them and your father shall live on._ Garnet's voice was poison in Caroline's head but nevertheless she did what she was told. She shut her eyes and suddenly her body and mind worked in overdrive mode. She remembered every detail of her nightmares and began to utter in a whisper the familiar words.

"_Expergiscere caliginis, et lux" _Caroline whispered, her body turning ice cold. Around her a circle formed, enflamed in fire. _"Gemini caelorum erit enim immensa," _she uttered. Another circle appeared and both Garnet and Devin hissed.

Outside, Caroline could hear something hit the cold ground with a thud but nevertheless, she couldn't stop what she started.

_"Nox cum hoc vitae essentia," _the final circle appeared and Caroline's eyes opened slowly. She watched in horror as a blur, no, two blurs passed into the room. Suddenly the male and female witches' hearts were lying on the floor. Caroline wanted to cry in agony as she tried to stop but found it impossible.

Klaus stopped and stared. He couldn't get past the circle, his fury spiking as he could already make out the faint outlines of Garnet and Devin. Outside the moon was bright, fueling the spell.

_"Vita fit mors." _Caroline whispered at last.

"Caroline, no!" Rebekah yelled. She reached forward only to be blown back by the barrier.

There had been a dagger in Caroline's hand and like a robot, she sliced her palm, blood spilling greedily onto the ground. There was a faint outline of a pentagram and then it was over as she tumbled to the ground, unconscious once more from the power strain.

Klaus swallowed. Before him stood two of the worst people he'd ever come to know. Garnet, in her long and vibrant crimson hair, stood out against Devin's bronze hair and intimidating eyes. They bore into Klaus that he had to break off the eye contact.

"Tell the witch we will return for her when her services are needed again," Garnet said. She smirked and examined her hand. "It's been a while since I felt the cold air against my living flesh."

Klaus winced, repulsed at just how wrong her words sounded.

"Do not think you are spared, Niklaus. We will return for you as well," Devin said.

"Like hell you will." Klaus spat. Garnet and Devin shared an amused look and with a shimmer, they were gone.

"Dammit!" Klaus growled. This was exactly what he wanted to avoid despite knowing he couldn't exactly intervene with how his fate played out. No matter how much he tried to change it and despite how strong or invincible he thought he was, he couldn't exactly battle with magic.

Rebekah hadn't said anything- she'd just watched the scene unfold in front of her. Truthfully she was trying her best not to show how scared she was. Garnet and Devin possessed the power to kill her and her brothers. That was, by definition in her book, not a good thing.

Klaus bent down and retrieved Caroline's sleeping body. He didn't want any of it. He didn't want to be tangled up in a mess that was so much greater than him. But it looked like the universe was laughing in his face- being cruel to retaliate how ruthless he'd been in his existence.

You get what you give, he thought sourly, walking out of the tomb they'd been in and into the night with Rebekah in tow. She knew how moody Klaus could get when things didn't exactly go as planned.

Rebekah wondered silently as she followed Nik. She wondered that if they had never turned, would they have led normal lives? Would Henrik or her mother still be alive? Would Nik be less bitter and actually be happy? She looked up at the moon, her mind drifting.

Would she have been a powerful witch like her mother?

* * *

**A short chapter in my opinion. Bleh. Not sure how I feel about it. The next one is longer and will probably be up during the weekend, if not at the latest, Tuesday night (because I have school Monday and I still haven't done my piles of homework!)**

**Don't forget to review because reviews are a great motivator. You guys have no idea. **

**-Fanatic4Fiction**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own TVD nor the characters.**

**I wanted to update this yesterday but I kind of fell asleep. Sorry, guys. Lol. BUT, I figured that from now on I'll update this story on Saturdays. This way you guys will know what day to expect it! Sorry again for the delay and don't forget to review! **

**A/N: Thanks to all of those who reviewed previously. It really means a lot. No, like, really. It means a lot and makes it feel like writing this is worth it because you guys actually read it...So, thanks!**

**Enjoy! ;)**

* * *

Klaus watched Caroline's sleeping form with a bitter determination. If couldn't stop them from coming back from the dead, he could sure as hell stop them before they accomplished killing him and his entire family.

Caroline was the key. That much he knew already as his eyes stayed focused on the fragile girl who'd been roped into the whole mess. It'd been too long since he experienced any weak human emotion but every time he laid eyes on her soft features his chest pained.

It seemed cruel that the witch Aiana had told him that his fate was intertwined with this one girl. Klaus didn't want to care about her- hell, he'd lost count on how many times he'd tried to convince himself that he didn't care- that he couldn't because he was Klaus. The monster who couldn't love and could only destroy.

"Nik?" Rebekah said softly behind him. He didn't even turn.

"What?"

Rebekah walked closer and took a seat next to him. Her eyes scrutinized every single bit of her brother's features. It made her mad how easy it was for him to build the walls up again. She on the other hand lashed out in the most obvious and unsurprising ways. Nik... No. When Nik was mad and he wanted to lash out for revenge, the offender wouldn't even see it coming.

"Do you care for her?" Rebekah said at last.

Klaus shook his head. "No."

There was a moment of silence before she rolled her eyes. "You're such a liar." she focused on Caroline's steady breathing. Her mother, Esther, had been a witch so she knew the after effects of using strong magic. All they could do was wait for her to wake on her own.

"Why do you do this, Nik?" Rebekah said. "Why do you torture yourself after a thousand years?"

_Because it's my fault we're monsters in the first place_, he thought sourly. Instead, he shook his head. "Not now, Bekah. I don't want to talk." when she didn't reply, he turned halfway to face her. "What?"

Rebekah shot up from her chair, knocking it over in anger as she stormed out of the room. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair._ A thousand years on this earth and I still haven't managed to figure out why women are so dramatic. _he thought again.

He saw Caroline stir. Sitting up straighter, he waited until she opened her eyes-completely startled.

"What happened?" Caroline exclaimed, sitting up too hastily causing her head to spin. She winced, touching the side of her head.

Klaus' eyes filled with immediate concern. "Are you alright?"

After a few seconds, the dizziness faded away and she nodded slowly. "Yeah... Just dizzy."

He watched as her innocent eyes gazed warily at him. He could tell she had a million questions and he hated that he couldn't answer them all. It was just that her allure distracted him from any and all coherent thoughts. It was hard to concentrate on more important matters.

"What happened?" she pressed again.

Klaus licked his lips. "Garnet and Devin are alive."

Her eyes flickered with the recollections of the previous night. "I did that, didn't I?"

He nodded. "Yes. You did." he looked down at his hands. They were clasped tightly together, as if he were restraining any and all violent movements. "You managed to tap into your powers without even trying too hard."

Caroline gulped. "I didn't know it would be that easy-I didn't even think it was possible..."

_All this time I thought I was human. Nothing important._ She thought inwardly.

"What happens now?" she asked.

"We try to find a way to send them back to Hell where they belong." he stated bitterly. "And the only way to do that is to train you. We need the Bennett witches."

Caroline's eyebrows scrunched together. "_Train_ me? You mean to tell me that I'm the one who's suppose to kill them?"

Klaus gave her a strange look. "Absolutely." she didn't look convinced, causing him to sigh. "Caroline, you have to understand that you-you play a great part in all of this. Believe me when I say that I want nothing more than to end this. I don't want to have to look behind my back every time I hear the names Garnet or Devin. I don't want my family in any more danger."

"Rebekah mentioned you have people after you all the time."

Klaus didn't faze one bit. "I've made a lot of enemies throughout the centuries yet none are as strong as those two. Separate they are strong-together they're practically unstoppable. But you, you have the power to end this once and for all. All we have to do is teach you how to handle your powers long enough to put an end to them."

"I'm just not sure I can do what I did last night... At least, not willingly."

"Well, not yet." he stressed. "But you'll learn."

There was a few moments of silence before she looked back at him. "Klaus?"

"Yes?"

She swallowed thickly, her pulse uneven. She didn't want to bring up the dreams but it was killing her. She needed to know what was so important about him and her together. But she couldn't. No matter how much she wanted to just open her mouth and speak, she couldn't. Instead, she asked something else. "Does this mean I can go home now? I can go to Bonnie's on my own. I'll do what you're asking for." she closed her eyes. "I don't know why but every bone in my body is telling me that I have to help you no matter how ludicrous this all looks and sounds."

Klaus nodded, feeling an odd warming sensation as she agreed to help him, the corner of his mouth turning up slightly. "Thank you, Caroline."

* * *

"Elena, I'm not sure this is such a good idea." Bonnie stated cautiously, following her best-friend to her car. "I don't think you should be around when Grams and I train Caroline. Her magic is... Unpredictable."

"Bonnie, she's my best-friend too. I have to be there for her. She's always been there for us, I can't just ditch her."

Bonnie sighed. "If something happens-"

"Nothing will happen. I'll be fine. It's not like you're going to be using somebody as a guinea pig." Elena climbed into her car but just as Bonnie moved to open the passenger side, a figure caught the corner of her vision. "Elena, I think I'll just meet you at my Grams place. There's something I have to take care of first."

"Okay?" Elena said.

Bonnie waited until she'd drove away before walking up to the person. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Easy, love. I came because your grandmother asked."

"Why?" Bonnie asked, attitude simmering beneath her surface.

"Because in order for you to understand little miss Caroline's powers you need to hear the necessary information I just so happen to know."

"_You _know? I thought it was Klaus who was going to help."

"My brother is in a bit of an emotional turmoil mode right now. Besides, out of all of my siblings I was the one that actually paid attention to my mother's magic. Therefore I know a thing or two about how this should all go down."

"The thing is, I'm actually a witch. So is my Grams. We don't need some vampire telling us how to train another witch."

"She isn't just a witch, Bonnie. She's also half angel which is something I know you have _ no _experience in."

"And you do?" she asked sourly.

Kol's eyes glinted mischievously. "You'd be surprised."

* * *

Sheila's eyes flickered between the two people standing on her front porch. "Bonnie will be here in a few minutes." she looked at the blonde. "You may come in, Caroline."

Caroline looked as Klaus remained outside, an incredulous expression plastered on his face. "Sheila... Aren't you going to invite me inside?"

Sheila chuckled. "Absolutely not. You're to remain outside of this house, Klaus." and with that sassy remark, she shut the door in his face.

"Uh- I haven't known him long but isn't shutting a door in his face a bad thing?" Caroline chimed, following Sheila throughout the house.

"I'm not scared of him, Caroline. Please, sit down."

Caroline took a seat on the couch, her eyes wandering across the walls covered in old scripts. On a table there seemed to be witchy like items. A pentagram caught her eyes. "I always thought those were cool looking."

"Hmm?" Sheila mused, turning to face in the direction she was looking. Her lips twitched. "Yes. Do you know what a pentagram symbolizes?"

Caroline shook her head, frowning slightly. "They never used to say in the movies. But, Bonnie mentioned once that it meant the elements."

Sheila nodded, her aged hands picking up the delicate chain on the pentagram. "That's right. Each point on the star represents an element. But the greater meaning- the star and circle as a whole- mean so much more." her brown eyes shifted to Caroline. "Faith. Protection. Strength. Witches use pentagrams the way a Christian might use the Cross or how those of Jewish descent use the Star of David. It can mean and be used as so much more than a simple necklace." she held it out to Caroline, who warily took hold of the necklace.

"Oh."

"But you- you're not a hundred percent witch. You're also half-angel."

"Everybody's been saying that," Caroline said. "And I honestly have no clue what it even means. Does that make me a freak in the supernatural world?"

Sheila laughed lightly. "No, child. That isn't what it means. It means you have the potential to speak the language of the Heavens. You can do what other witches can only dream about doing."

Caroline pursed her lips. "But I don't even know how this works. I don't know anything, Sheila. I'm useless. I can't do magic on my own- I can't train if I don't even know what I did last night. I can't even help Klaus."

"Listen to me, Caroline." Sheila demanded sternly. "Everything requires practice and with the help of Bonnie and me, you will get there."

"Grams, I'm here!" Bonnie exclaimed. "But I kind of have somebody with me- somebody that might be able to help."

Sheila stood up and once she reached the door, she grimaced. "Another original? Bonnie... I won't invite him in."

Kol sighed. "Well, I'm not going to stand out here all day, either."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Grams, he knows about this stuff. About witches mixing with angels."

"How?" Caroline mused behind Sheila, arms crossed.

"Because," Bonnie said, looking at Kol. "He's already met someone like Caroline."

"What?" Caroline exclaimed.

"Yes, I have and if all we do is argue on the porch-" he squinted his eyes. "We may not have enough time to kill Garnet."

"What about Devin?" Sheila asked.

"Devin is irrelevant to me." Kol grumbled. "The one with the deadliest power is Garnet. And like I told Bonnie earlier, if we don't get to training her," he pointed to Caroline. "That'll leave her unprotected for when Garnet comes back to kill her."

Caroline's eyes widened. "Great. So now this Garnet lady wants to kill me!"

"That won't happen." Bonnie stated. "Grams, please."

Sheila let out a breath, shaking her head. "If you do anything to put Bonnie or Caroline in danger I will make you regret it. Swear your loyalty, vampire."

Kol rolled his eyes. "I swear. Now," he motioned for them to continue.

"Come inside," Sheila grumbled.

Kol's eyes glinted with satisfaction as he stepped over the threshold. "I bet my brother will be mad about you inviting me in instead of him."

"Your brother," Sheila answered. "Seems to be entirely too negative for my taste. It would have thrown off the balance."

"All right," Kol projected. "Let's get started."

Bonnie nodded, grabbing a candle from a cabinet nearby, turning to Caroline. "First element we're going to work with is fire."

* * *

Klaus felt useless. Completely and utterly useless when he had watched Kol get invited into the Bennett house. He didn't have the knowledge of dealing with angels the way Kol did and it made him angry. Witches were one thing- after all, he'd had his fair share of dealing with witches over his lifetime-but angels? That was completely foreign to him.

Right now as he walked about in his mansion, he couldn't help but worry. What if something went horribly wrong during the training? What if Caroline got hurt?

_No. You don't care. You're not suppose to care about others other than your family._ he thought bitterly. It was true though; those were his own words that he'd spoken to Elijah so long ago. They were vampires. They did not feel and they absolutely did not care.

_'We did once.' _Elijah had returned, his voice soft yet unwavering. Klaus hadn't given the remark much thought then but ever since he'd laid eyes on Caroline in the flesh, he couldn't help but rethink every philosophy he had about caring.

He had thought that to care was to be weak. Yet Elijah and Rebekah cared so much about others and they weren't weak. Granted, Rebekah could be a fool sometimes at how often she loved other people. But she wasn't weak- she'd been young when their mother had died but she didn't grovel long, she picked herself back up and carried on.

Now, as he searched through his particular sketchbook, he let his mind wander. What would his life be like if he tore down the wall? His eyes lingered on the sketches of Caroline's face. He'd done a few decent drawing from when Aiana had shared her vision with him. He flipped through and came across his most recent ones. They were clearer- her features sharper and more prominent. Yet it wasn't the same seeing her face on paper and in person. There was that allure that something innocent could become corrupted because of him.

_You have your own dark side._ his mind echoed. Another part fought the negativity. _But that doesn't mean you're heartless._

He thought of his own dreams that he'd had over the years. Most were about Caroline and him. He had dreamt of holding her in his arms, her warmth radiating to melt the ice in his heart. In his dream he had felt liberated of the demons that had plagued him since he'd turned. In his dream, he felt almost human. Caring. Warm. Able to love endlessly. Able to love her despite not even truly knowing who she was.

Then there were the nightmares that came after. His nightmares consisted of the full moon, bright enough to illuminate the dark forest as Caroline cried out in pain, his own body withering on the ground as Garnet's evil smirk and Devin's dark laughter appeared in flashes. He saw blood being spilled- his and Caroline's. He can remember clearly her shining eyes filled with tears. His vision blurs as she whispers his name and then, with a harsh sentiment, witnesses as Garnet shoves a dagger through Caroline's heart.

Then he wakes.

And that's why Klaus was so reluctant to talk to her. He was, and still is, genuinely afraid that he might very well fall for Caroline. But to love her... It would conflict against his beliefs. Yet he was selfish because he couldn't watch her live not knowing him. He wanted her for himself no matter what the costs were.

And that thought frightened him so much more than death itself.

* * *

"Ouch!" Caroline yelped, holding her hand close to her. Her eyes stung with tears as the fire died down. Bonnie frowned and Kol groaned.

"That was good; you got the candle to ignite but we need to work on controlling it. Fire is a dangerous element, Caroline. If you can't control the power of it then it won't be much help." Sheila commented.

Caroline huffed. "I'm trying."

"We know." Bonnie said softly the same time Kol complained "Try harder."

Bonnie glared at him. "You're not helping much. I thought you'd be more useful than just sitting on the couch and complaining."

"As much as I like your sass, Bonnie, don't test my patience. We're on a tight time schedule here and if little miss sunshine can't get her powers in check, we're all in deep trouble."

"I'm trying, Kol." Caroline bit back. "Up until forty-eight hours ago, I didn't even know I was half-witch so would you please just back off?!"

Kol's eyes widened as the room became more illuminated. Bonnie's mouth opened slightly. "Uh, Care?"

Caroline huffed. "What?"

"Look." Bonnie said.

Caroline turned her head, her eyes widening with surprise as all the candles in the entire room flickered with a small flame.

"I did this?" she asked.

Bonnie nodded. "Yeah, you did."

"It seems that anger is a trigger for Caroline's powers and although we got it to work- we need to find a way for her to do the same without having to get angry." Sheila said.

Kol stared at her. "Has this ever happened before?"

"Has what ever happened before?" Caroline asked instead of answering.

"Have you ever gotten angry before and something strange happens afterward?" Kol further explained.

Caroline shook her head. "Not really. Nothing weird aside from the dreams-" she bit her tongue.

_Dammit._she thought inwardly as Kol's eyes grew intense.

"What dreams?"

Caroline hesitated. Telling somebody something so personal was hard and all too exposing. But three pairs of eyes and ears waited for her response and she cracked. "Ever since I was a little girl I've been having these dreams- nightmares about monsters. Most of the time they come in flashes, though. Like that night Klaus found me in the woods with Garnet's spirit. I'd dreamt about that before." she swallowed, not wanting to explain that some of the dreams were good- like the ones about Klaus. She couldn't. It seemed even more intimate.

Kol grabbed at his hair. "Interesting. Do you ever dream about a person or an object? Or some memory that's... How do I put this... Something or someone that makes you feel secure?"

Caroline chewed the inside of her cheek. Yes. "I... Uh. Maybe."

Kol looked to Bonnie who raised her eyebrows. "Who or what, Care?"

Caroline opened her mouth, looking down and feeling heat rise to her face with sudden embarrassment. "Don't judge but lately I've had dreams where Klaus tells me things. I can't really remember much about them, though."

Kol pursed his lips, eyes squinting again. It seemed like he did that every time he concentrated hard on something or if he were just annoyed. "I wonder..."

* * *

**_Yay? Nay? Tell me what your thoughts are! Hit that review button!_**

**_-Fanatic4Fiction_**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own TVD nor its characters. Sorry.**

**Ahhhhh. I keep falling asleep but here it is! Chapter 6. Lots of Klaus/Caroline interaction in this one. Thank you guys for the reviews, I want each and every one of you to know that your reviews are greaty appreciated and taken into consideration! Don't forget to review this chapter and enjoy! :D**

**A/N: Edit 1/20: I'd say that this story, because it's AU, takes place after season two. However, Caroline was never in the car accident with Tyler and Matt, therefore she did not become a vampire. Everything concerning Bonnie and Elena has happened the way it did on the show, though. Just... No Caroline vampire plots. I felt like I had to make that clear. Klaus has been around in Mystic Falls this entire time since breaking the curse. Yep. Okay. **

* * *

"You want her to _what?"_ Bonnie screeched. Caroline winced. She hated when Bonnie got all worked up.

"Well- maybe my brother is a trigger. Maybe he's _the_ trigger. Caroline said so herself from her dreams-"

"Those are just dreams." Caroline interrupted, her face warm. "It doesn't mean anything- there's no hidden meaning to it."

"Caroline," Kol whispered, leaning forward slightly. "Dreams _always_ have a mean something. And if what you're saying is true, we can't deny the fact that maybe Klaus is your motivation for your powers." he watched Caroline blush further and he smirked. "But perhaps you already knew that?"

"_Absolutely not!"_ Caroline exclaimed.

Kol looked at Bonnie with a gaze that wouldn't back down. Suddenly Bonnie threw her hands up in defeat. "He's right, Care. As much as I hate the idea of you being so close to Klaus, we can't just ignore the fact that he's your trigger. And if we want to move further ahead with your training, we have to give this theory-" she threw daggers at Kol. "A try."

Caroline bit her lip. "Bonnie? Can I speak to you for a second... Alone?"

A few moments went by when both girls looked at Kol with a sudden glare. Kol seemed to take a while until he realized they were asking him to get out. "Oh. Fine. I was going to leave anyway so, have fun chatting it up ladies. I'll see you tomorrow."

When Caroline and Bonnie were sure he'd walked out the front door, Caroline quickly turned to look at Bonnie. "I'm not comfortable with the idea of Klaus being my trigger or whatever it is you called him."

"I know he's kind of intimidating-" Bonnie started but Caroline cut her off.

"It's not that I'm afraid of how dangerous he is, Bonnie." Caroline whispered. "I know he's killed so many people- Rebekah told me. It's that, when I'm with him, every bone in my body wants to stay that way. With him."

Bonnie blinked and shook her head. "I'm not sure I understand what you're trying to say, Caroline."

Caroline laughed humorlessly. "I'm not sure_ I _understand what I'm saying." she hunched her shoulders slightly. "I've never met the guy before yet it feels like I've known him all my life. It feels...unpredictable. Exhilarating. I just don't know what's wrong with me." she placed her hands on her face, covering it fully in frustration.

Bonnie knit her eyebrows together, perplexed. Could what her Grams had told her be true? If Klaus loved Caroline, could it go the other way?

She glanced at her friend who was still covering her face. She reached out and grabbed a hold of her wrists. Caroline obliged and removed them, giving Bonnie a look of desperation. Bonnie's every instinct from being a witch was telling her that Klaus was bad news. But the way Caroline would talk about him made him sound like he was the most special thing in the world to her friend. And she couldn't destroy that because this was the first time she'd seen Caroline truly awake since she'd found out about her dad's condition.

"Caroline, do you care about Klaus?"

Caroline's eyes looked at Bonnie with certainty. "I don't know why I should if I hardly know the guy, Bonnie. But I do. He feels important to me."

* * *

"God, it feels like forever since we've all hung out together." Elena sighed, sliding into the booth. All three girls had decided they needed some serious time together. Where better than the Grill?

"I know." Bonnie stated.

Elena looked at Caroline's sullen expression. "You okay, Caroline?"

Caroline gave her a look and Elena nodded. "Right. stupid question. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Caroline said. "It just feels weird being here and acting like nothing has changed. Everything has changed. Suddenly Bonnie's a witch, vampires are real and I'm half-angel. And you two knew all about this, didn't you?"

Elena looked at Bonnie who just shrugged. "We're sorry we kept all of this from you."

"What I kind of don't understand is how you knew about it all." Caroline stated.

Elena bit her lip. "Well, I guess it won't be that big of a shock but... Stefan? He's a vampire. I found out a couple months ago."

Caroline's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Stefan? He's a vampire?" she whispered.

Elena nodded. "Don't worry. I was pretty freaked out whenever I first found about this stuff. I told Bonnie about him a few weeks after when Damon nearly killed her-"

"Elena!" Bonnie hushed. She could see that Caroline's face was pale with shock. "Don't worry, Care. Stefan healed me with his blood."

"You almost died because of Stefan's psychotic brother?"

"Well. Yes. But it's okay now. He swore to Elena that he wouldn't try to kill me again, right?"

Elena nodded abruptly. "Yeah."

Caroline leaned back in defeat. "I can't understand how you two are so nonchalant about all of this. This is freaky. Magic, monsters... It's freaky and so hard to grasp my mind around."

"You get used to it." Elena said softly. "Especially if it's who you are. And in a way, we're all a part of it. You're a witch angel hybrid, Bonnie's a full-blooded witch, and I'm a doppelganger."

"A doppel-what?"

"Doppelganger." Elena answered. She waited until the waitress left them their drinks to continue. "Basically, I'm just like a supernatural reincarnation of Katherine. AKA Katerina Petrova."

"What the hell does that mean?" Caroline said.

"Her face isn't really her face. She looks like her ancestor who also happens to be a sadistic vampire."

"Does that make you part vampire?"

"Nope. Vampires can't procreate. Apparently Katherine had a baby before being turned. That's how the Petrova line kept going."

"Whoa." Caroline said. "That must feel weird. But how does that work? Is your blood special or something?"

Elena opened her mouth but Bonnie shook her head. She didn't want to tell Caroline that Klaus had killed her using her blood to break the hybrid curse. It would be too much. "Something like that."

They stopped talking for a bit, each one preoccupied with the soda in front of them when Elena suddenly stiffened. "Um, what is he doing here?"

Bonnie and Caroline turned to look and see who exactly Elena was talking about. Bonnie rolled her eyes and Caroline knitted her eyebrows as Klaus walked straight to the bar, a less than friendly expression plastered on his face.

"Don't pay attention to him, Elena. He's not going to try and kill you."

"He can't. He needs me to make more hybrids." Elena spat, stirring her straw. Caroline whipped back to Elena, eyes open.

"What did you just say?"

The brunette shrunk back slightly. "Uh- nothing."

"Elena," Caroline demanded, a sudden edge to her voice. "What aren't you telling me?"

"I don't think I should-"

"Tell me? Yeah, well, last time the both of you thought that, it resulted in me almost getting _killed. _So please. Tell me what it is that you're leaving out."

"Klaus is a hybrid, Caroline. A vampire and a werewolf-two things that shouldn't coexist in one person. But they do and it wasn't without a pretext. Klaus had a curse that bidden his werewolf side up until a few months ago when he..."

"When he what, Elena?" Caroline asked sharply. She hated when Elena kept things from her.

"When he killed me. He drained me dry, Caroline." she took her eyes away from Klaus sitting at the bar and back to Caroline. "The only reason I'm alive right now is because John Gilbert sacrificed himself so I wouldn't be a vampire. That's why I'm still human and alive."

Caroline shook her head, perplexed. "Why didn't any of you tell me this? Why the hell didn't you tell me anything?"

Elena shrugged defensively. "I don't know- I figured it was better if you didn't know-"

"No!" Caroline interrupted, her voice assertive. It was one thing to not know about her own heritage but to know that one of her friends had almost died and she had been ignorant the entire time? That made her look weak, stupid, and untrustworthy. It was almost like she wasn't good enough to have known anything.

In a way, it all reminded her of how long she'd been in the dark about her parents splitting up. About her dad's condition. About her virtues. Everything.

"You don't get to decide on what I can and can't know. Not anymore, Elena."

"Caroline- You need to calm down before your powers do something." Bonnie stated softly. "It was wrong; we shouldn't have kept it all a secret from you but you were having such a hard time with your parents and your dad's health... We didn't want to add more."

Caroline shook her head. "I just can't believe this. I- I have to go to the bathroom." she shot up from her seat and rushed to the restrooms, her anger clouding all judgment as she locked the entrance to the bathroom. Her breathing was audible and the rage that radiated from her was foreign. She never got mad like this. She was Caroline Forbes. As uptight and overly bitchy she could be- she was never full of such pure and undiluted rage.

Her hands clenched the edges of the sink in a death grip, knuckles turning white. Her reflection was much scarier. It was like looking at a different person. Her soft eyes were sharp and alert. Hell, her ears could hear the hard and fast thumping of her heart, quickening suddenly to a loud ringing and then... It stopped in sync with the mirror cracking into a million facets, right in front of her.

The action startled her and her eyes lost focus, returning back to a familiar gaze. There was a small stinging on her left hand that had come from a small cut due to the glass shards and Caroline swallowed.

She got mad and that's what happened. Her anger literally broke a mirror.

_So it's true then. My anger is a trigger for my powers but Bonnie was right. It's uncontrollable. It's dangerous._

She grabbed a few towels to wipe the cut on her hand before unlocking the door and walking out before anybody else had a chance to see that it was her leaving the bathroom with the broken mirror. Her eyes looked to where she'd been sitting with Elena and Bonnie and frowned slightly. They'd left her.

_Great._ she thought bitterly. _I need a drink to help me think. _she added. It was later in the afternoon which meant less prying adult eyes that would rat her out but even then she'd probably need a fake I.D. to get a good drink. She spotted Klaus at the very end of the bar and bit her lip. _Okay... Okay. Play it cool. Don't freak out and blow this way out of proportion, Caroline. After all, you're going to be working with him, right?_

She gulped, her palms sweating. _Right?_ she repeated as she walked up to where he was sitting. She quickly took the seat next to him before she could chicken out.

"Hello, Caroline." he said immediately, turning slightly to look at her. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"My friends ditched me." Caroline stated. She let out a breath and looked across the bar. What she would have given to be over the age limit.

"What happened there?" he asked, gesturing to her hand. He watched as she drew it closer to her.

"I might have broken a mirror in the bathroom." she answered cautiously.

"I see we have a rebel over here," he joked, taking a sip of his red wine. "Can I offer you a drink?"

"That would be great, thanks." Caroline said, smiling slightly. She didn't really know what to say. It wasn't that it was awkward because she didn't like him, it was awkward because she did like him. But she didn't exactly know how to express it.

Klaus flagged the bartender, requesting another red wine. "Kol told me you're working with the elements."

"Did he mention anything else?"

"He might have mentioned a couple of other things."

Caroline swallowed. "Like?"

"He told me about the whole trigger thing."

Caroline sighed, embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I realize that it probably sounds weird and everything but-"

"It doesn't." he said quickly, cutting her off. The way he was looking at her like she was the only thing in the world that mattered was really throwing off her concentration. Well, that and all coherent talk. "I bet this is all too much for you. Isn't it?"

"A little bit," Caroline answered, biting her lip as the bartender handed her the glass of wine. She took a sip and asked, "Can you tell me what your human life was like?"

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. Nobody ever asked him about his time as a human- but it wasn't something he could forget. "What do you want to know?"

She thought for a second before looking at him with a soft gaze, "How was your everyday life with your brothers and sister?"

Klaus looked at the glistening bottles of liquor and wine, thinking back to a thousand years ago. "I guess I was always closest to Elijah and Rebekah. Finn didn't really talk much, he was rather quiet, though. Secluded. Kol was reckless-it's a miracle my mother didn't sew his mouth shut and kept him locked up. He caused too much trouble throughout the village... Well, for the girls in particular." his lips twitched and Caroline smiled small.

"And Rebekah?"

"Rebekah was unpredictable but she was so loyal to me and Elijah. She's my little sister, how could I not look after her? She looked up to me and I looked up to Elijah. He's the one with all the morals and whatnot."

Caroline nodded. "What about your mother and father? What were they like?"

Klaus swallowed thickly, the mood shifting to something darker. "My mother... Was different." When he saw Caroline's confused expression, he clarified, "She was a witch. She tried her best to give us a good life but she-she was also a coward. She would succumb to whatever Mikael would demand and stay silent when he would lash out at us."

"Mikael... Is that where you get your last name? Mikaelson?"

Klaus nodded. "An homage to the monster who ruined my human life and hunted me for a thousand years before I staked him." he took a long swig of wine.

"I'm sorry," Caroline said softly.

Klaus shook his head. "Don't be. It's not your fault he was a raging patriarch lunatic. The only reason that he hated me so much was because I wasn't even his son." he took another swig.

"What?" Caroline asked, leaning closer. "Mikael wasn't your real father?"

Klaus shook his head. "My mother had an affair with one of the wolf villagers. That's why I'm the hybrid- I have the werewolf gene. My mother, Esther, bound my werewolf side when I became a vampire. She didn't want me to become a bigger mistake than I already was."

"That's horrible." she stated sympathetically. Maybe because of how horribly he'd been treated as a human explained why he did the things he did. Like, kill Elena for example... And use Bonnie for her magic. Wait, Caroline thought silently. Magic? He's mother was a witch... "Wait a second, you said your mother was a witch?"

He nodded, looking back to her with unwavering eyes.

"Doesn't that mean you can do magic?"

"A vampire can't be a witch. It conflicts with nature's balance." he explained.

"Oh." she said. "But when you were human, could you do magic, too?"

Klaus shrugged. "If I could, I never knew about it. But Rebekah," he started. "Rebekah could. I remember although she was a lot younger then and she probably doesn't remember. But she showed signs of magical tendencies."

"But now she's a vampire."

"And now she's a vampire," he reiterated. "Despite even Mikael knowing of Rebekah's gift, he still killed us."

"Mikael killed you?" she asked incredulously. She noticed he'd finished his third round of wine. The more he talked the more he drank.

"He's the one who wanted to make us vampires. He didn't want to fall prey to werewolves within the village and those nearby. He was a petty fool who only cared about proving how much better he was than everybody else." He flagged the bartender again and Caroline bit her lip.

* * *

Garnet ran a finger across the pentagram carved into stone. They were currently in Italy. Why so far? It had been her brother's idea to stash their belongings inside a tomb halfway across the world.

"You realize how cliche this sounds, right?" the young witch said. Her brown locks of hair wavered in the harsh wind, her hands clasped tightly around her grimoire. "Two supernatural siblings with an evil agenda to take over the world?"

"It isn't just that we want to take over the world- Dear Miranda, we don't want to do that. We want revenge against the Original vampire family. They killed us- they sparked a war between werewolves and their own species over petty grudges." Devin said from behind her. "What we want is to have the power and the ranking we so rightfully deserve in the world. We would never take it over, too many humans reside for us to do so. We just want balance restored."

"Balance? But if you kill an entire species..."

"All will be as it was before Esther made the mistake of creating a monstrous species." Garnet intersected sharply, wiping the dirt off of her fingers. "We will restore the universe's natural balance. The balance between humans, werewolves who are servants of the moon, and witches who are nature's servants. That's the way things should be, my dear. Vampires should not exist."

"So, how are you going to carry this plan out?" the witch, Miranda, asked slowly.

Garnet smiled. "There are two options, my dear. One, we do a spell to turn them all human. Of course, that would cause the unbalance of the Otherside since they're technically suppose to be dead. Then there's the second,"

"Where we completely eradicate the entire species. Kill them all." Devin finished for Garnet.

"And the best part is that all we have to do is kill the Originals and their entire bloodline goes with them."

* * *

By the time the Grill was getting ready to close up for the night, Klaus was completely drunk. Caroline herself was a little tipsy but at least she could still talk and somewhat walk. He was out of it.

"Okay," she said, grabbing a hold of the glass from his hand placing it on the other side of her, far away from him. "I think you've had enough to drink. It's time to call it a night, Klaus."

He rubbed his hands over his face. "I'm sorry I'm such a mess. I don't exactly let go like this... I'm usually..."

"Uptight?" Caroline offered lightly, causing them both to smile with humor. "Come on," she said again, this time making an effort to actually leave by jumping off her stool. She tugged lightly on the sleeve of his coat and he obliged, following her as she made her way towards the exit.

Once they were out in the street, she gave him a look. "Did you drive here?"

Klaus shook his head. "I walked."

Her eyes widened a bit despite her dizziness. "You walked over eight miles? Are you joking?"

"Vampire, remember? It wasn't that bad." he retorted.

Caroline rolled her eyes before hailing a cab. It took a while to get a drunk Klaus inside the vehicle but once he was in, she sighed, following suit. He mumbled his address to the driver and leaned his head back against the seat.

"I'm sorry again, Caroline. This is slightly embarrassing right now."

"Hey. I'm not judging. People get drunk. God knows I have." she said, trying to make it a little less awkward. They'd spent the entire afternoon and most of the evening talking about their lives. Aside from learning how horrific Mikael had been to Klaus, she'd also learned about the places he'd been over the centuries. She'd learned that he was a big rock music fan and that despite looking uptight, he could let loose if he wanted to and if the situation was appropriate.

But what scared Caroline was that every time he'd reveal something about himself to her, it only made her care all the more. She wanted to comfort him when he'd told her about his human life and how bad it had been. She wished she could just take away all the misery he'd had to endure, just like how she wanted to forget about her pain in her own pathetic human life.

When they'd reached his mansion, he handed the driver a fifty and climbed out of the cab, holding the door open for Caroline.

"Oh... I figured I'd go home since..." Caroline started but stopped when she saw he wasn't backing down. She sighed, climbing out and giving him an appreciative look. She couldn't really face going home to her mother right now. The good thing about having had today was that she'd heard her father was stable.

Once inside, she walked to the couch, him behind her at a respectable distance. They both plopped down side by side and stared at the ceiling. Suddenly, Caroline moved and hugged him. She'd wanted to comfort him after everything he'd told her. It felt right and apparently he wasn't objecting as he leaned into her for support.

Klaus didn't normally behave like this. He was always collected. But tonight, after revealing parts about himself that he hadn't shared with many people in his entire existence made him vulnerable. He felt entirely too exposed and it was uncomfortable which was why he'd drank so much in the first place, so he'd cope with the new feeling. But having Caroline actually hug him, despite the fact that they had just met, was surreal. He felt her warmth emanating from her body and he buried his face into the crook of her neck. Her scent was unbelievable. It was downright intoxicating and addictive. Nobody had ever held him like that since he'd become a vampire. To have this one girl break him just by touching him was frightening.

He was the almighty Klaus. He was the hybrid. The Original everyone feared and hated the most. He was invincible.

But right now, in this one moment of time, he felt completely and utterly vulnerable. Weak. His insides felt like putty as she didn't let go.

He didn't want her to let go.

* * *

**Lots of Klaus/Caroline interaction in this one. What did you think? Too fast? I tried as best as I could to explain exactly why it was all happening so quickly. They're just meant to beeeeeee. Gah. Don't hate on me for it. :P**

**-Fanatic4Fiction**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own TVD.**

**I didn't have the chapter finished last week to update. This time I do. I just want to thank every single one of you for reviewing. It really means a lot, guys! Keep reviewing! I want _your_ input! Enjoy! :D**

* * *

As Bonnie waved goodbye as Elena drove off, she sighed with frustration. Caroline was mad at them, that much she already knew. But they had to keep trying-they had to keep training if they wanted Caroline to be ready.

But Bonnie just didn't know what to do. She wasn't the teaching type. She was the type that was taught things and figured the rest out herself. Her Grams had given her the basics and just thrown her into the frying pan. Despite her Grams' good efforts, she knew she was getting ready to do the same to Caroline.

By the time she climbed her front porch steps, a figure came into her vision and she groaned.

"What do you want, Kol?"

The original vampire hopped up from his seat on the porch swing, a lazy smile plastered on his face. "I was hoping we could talk about training."

"Talk about what?" Bonnie sassed. "You're not exactly entitled to know these things, Kol. You're a vampire-they wouldn't be much use to you."

"Who said I needed to use magic? I have people who do that for me?"

She rolled her eyes, her hands reaching for her keys. Dammit. She silently cursed her purse for being messy. "I hope you aren't talking about me because I'm not your little lap dog."

Now it was his turn to roll his eyes. "Do you really believe I would use you like that?"

She groaned, giving up. "Damn keys." she huffed, removing stray hair from her face. Moving to the swing, she tossed her purse to the ground. "Now I have to wait for my Grams."

"Why don't you just use your magic, Bonnie?" Kol asked tentatively, taking the spot next to her on the swing.

"I can't risk exposing magic to the whole neighborhood, Kol." she gave him an annoyed look. "Besides, up until a few days ago, I didn't even know you existed. So why the sudden interest in the witch business?"

Kol's eyes looked at her firmly. "Believe it or not, I actually have a lot to do with what's happening. Some even might say it's my fault."

"Like?"

"Like Niklaus. Or your grandmother. Rebekah, perhaps. A thousand years and she still hasn't quite forgiven me for telling Mikael about her powers."

Bonnie's eyebrows arched. "Rebekah had magic?"

Kol nodded. "Exactly like our mother, which is why Mikael grew distasteful with Rebekah. He was ashamed at having a witch as a wife. With a daughter who was the same way, his temper became insufferable."

"What did he do to her?" Bonnie asked lowly. She could tell Kol was remembering by the way his shoulders stiffened a bit.

"He didn't lay a hand on her, he couldn't. Our mother wouldn't let him when it came to Rebekah because of her magic. I'm not exactly sure why. But for us, his sons, he definitely gave us a beating worth remembering. He said that if any of us showed any signs of witchcraft he would kill us."

He stared at his daylight ring, turning it over and over on his finger. "I'm not exactly sure why I let it slip about Rebekah's powers. Perhaps it was because I was jealous of her. I'm not sure anymore. But I did and it only made him angrier. He was already angry about Nik's behaviors."

"How did Rebekah find out about her powers?" Bonnie asked, leaning forward a bit. Bonnie herself had come to the realization after Tanner had died.

"We were in the woods when I'd made Rebekah angry with me. The next thing I know the small shrub next to me is on fire. I knew immediately because it scared the hell out of me." Kol explained. "But enough of that. The point is that we need to talk about what the plan is. We can't just keep leisurely training Caroline. We have to hurry before Garnet does something to my family."

Bonnie nodded, snapping out of the trance of his words. "I know that, Kol. I'm not exactly teacher of the year if you haven't noticed."

He shot her an incredulous look. "I know it's hard. But we have to try. The point of becoming a vampire was so I _wouldn't _have to die. You can see as to why Garnet planning my family's death would pose as a bit of a problem."

"I got it." Bonnie insisted, sighing. She hated when people talked to her as if they were speaking to a child. Bonnie had already seen and experienced too much to ever be blissfully ignorant. A few more minutes passed by in a serene silence. The moon was barely visible in the cloudy night sky. "What time is it?"

"About eleven." Kol answered briskly. He watched in a bit of fascination as the witch in front of him bit her lip tentatively. He'd had his fair share of witch debacles before and Bonnie was no exception. He had to admit he was warming up to her, even if her friends were a load of idiots.

"Grams should be home in a bit." she said to herself. Looking back at him, she frowned. "Don't you have anywhere to be? I mean, is that all you came to tell me? That we need to work faster?"

He shrugged. "Pretty much."

She blinked. "Couldn't you have used a cellphone and just, I don't know, called me?"

"I prefer talking in person. It's not exactly like I'm wanted company with Niklaus. He can't exactly stand me."

"I can see why, you're kind of an ass." Bonnie said. Their eyes connected before she smiled slowly, followed by his own smirk.

"I like you, Bonnie Bennett. You're a feisty witch."

She saw his eyes sparkle a bit when he said that, which kind of made her pulse speed up. Okay. she thought slowly, uncrossing her arms.

"You're not too bad yourself, Kol." she countered softly.

* * *

Caroline had no idea when she had fallen asleep. But when she did finally wake, the sun was beginning to peek through the parlor curtains. Beside her, she felt Klaus begin to stir.

_Oh my god._ she thought inwardly. She'd fallen asleep next to him. _Well, there's a first for everything. _Caroline bit her lip. She'd never actually slept next to a guy before. Usually she'd leave afterward but since nothing had happened in the first place with Klaus, it only made it slightly more awkward for her.

_What the hell do I say when he wakes up? 'Morning sweet cheeks?'_ she began to panic as he subtle movements became more prominent. She quickly scooted to the other end of the sofa, watching cautiously as his eyes opened slowly. She kept staring as he searched around for a few seconds before locking eyes with her.

"Morning." she said gingerly. She could tell he wasn't hungover._ Must be because he's a vampire_. she observed.

Klaus' eyebrows scrunched together. "What time is it?"

Caroline shrugged. "Must be around six or seven in the morning." she absentmindedly ran her fingers through her hair in an attempt to comb it, failing miserably. She noticed Klaus staring at her and she frowned. "What?"

"You look beautiful." he said lowly. Caroline blushed prominently and it took him a second to realize what exactly had just come out of his mouth.

_What the hell was that? _He thought to himself, breaking eye contact with Caroline as he straightened up into a sitting position. Clearing his throat, he stood. "Well, then. I think we should get you to Bonnie's for training."

"Wait-!" Caroline said hastily, standing up as well. "Is it okay if I go see my dad first? I just really need to know if he's okay. You know, in person."

Klaus nodded. "Of course. Let me just change first. I'm guessing you would also like some breakfast? We could stop by the Grill and get you something to eat?"

"Yeah, I think that'll be good." she replied, nodding.

When he disappeared upstairs, Caroline sighed, checking her phone. No missed calls from Elena or Bonnie.

_Figures. They probably don't even care. They're probably off sharing more secrets behind my back._ she thought sourly, rolling her eyes and shoving her phone back into her back pocket.

Her eyes drifted around the large parlor. A thousand years of rich taste was obvious considering the design and furniture in the mansion. She bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes landing on the coffee table. There was a sketchbook and Caroline gingerly picked it up off the table. _It must be Klaus's. _she thought silently as her petite hands ran across the smooth cover. Cautiously she opened it.

There were quite a few sketches of outdoorsy stuff from birds to landscapes, each with its own intricate detailing and drawing pattern. She could tell he was a raw artist by the way his brush strokes popped off the page. Instinctively she ran a finger across one of the trees. Turning the page, her breath hitched as she came across a particular drawing.

_He drew me?_ she echoed. _He drew me..._

She bit her lip, turning the next page and to no surprise, it was another sketching of her.

And that was the thing. It was her but at the same time, it wasn't. The girl in the picture had flawless skin and vibrantly detailed hair that actually seemed to agree with her face. Her lips weren't smiling all the way but they were subtle-content, even. Her eyes were big and expectant. No, this couldn't be her. This girl was much too beautiful.

She shook her head. _You're losing it, Caroline. You're starting to freak out. So what if he's a thousand year old hybrid who likes drawing you? It's nothing... Right? _her trembling hands placed the book back where it was on the table, Klaus' footsteps lightly hitting the stairs.

* * *

"Daddy?" Caroline tried, peeking her head through the door. The faint beeping of the heart monitor somewhat calmed her nerves although it didn't ease the queasiness she currently felt in her stomach. Stepping in soundlessly, she smiled small as she saw her dad was awake.

Pale, but awake nonetheless.

"Caroline." her dad said.

"Hi." She said, letting herself smile softly. "I didn't think you'd be awake just yet."

"Yeah, well... They don't exactly know I'm a fighter." he said lightheartedly, holding his hand out.

Caroline took it gingerly, moving one of the chairs closer to the bed so she wouldn't have to stand the entire time. "How are you feeling?"

Bill Forbes shook his head. "Like a drama queen. I shouldn't have made such a fit that would acceleration my condition."

"A fit?" she gulped down the knot in her throat, feeling guilty. After all, it was her fault-she's the one who canceled for some petty party.

"It wasn't because of you." he added, noticing her pale expression. "I was angry at something else entirely, Caroline. Don't blame yourself."

Her eyes began to sting lightly. "I still blame myself, dad. I feel guilty- I could do so much more to help you... To save you from being sick."

"Sweetie, nobody can do that. Sometimes we just have to live with the pain." he swallowed thickly. "Everything happens for a reason."

Caroline blinked slowly, her eyelids slightly fluttering. "Yeah. I've been hearing that a lot recently."

_Everything happens for a reason._

"I know, dad."

Bill frowned slightly. "What?"

"I know," she repeated, her voice shaking. "I know about what we really are. I know that I'm half-witch half-angel."

He opened his mouth to interject but she shook her head.

"Don't try to convince me otherwise. I already did magic... Twice."

Her eyebrows knit together when Bill suddenly removed his hand from hers. His eyes were wide with fear and curiosity.

"Dad?"

Bill shook his head again. "No... You... You can't-"

Caroline blinked in confusion. She didn't exactly know what he was rambling about. Hell, she wasn't sure what anybody was talking about anymore. She was so undoubtedly confused.

He coughed. "Caroline, what did you do?"

When she didn't respond, he repeated his question with fierce vigor.

"I didn't mean to do it," she whispered. "I didn't have a choice and now I messed things up like I always do. Daddy, I can't do this. I can't be who they want me to be."

"Who, Caroline? What are you saying?" he rasped, his heart monitor increasing slightly.

"My friends. Klaus, Rebekah... They want me to stop Garnet when I know in my heart that I can't do it. I'm not strong like you, I'm not you."

_No._ He thought quickly with utter panic. He had hoped that his daughter wouldn't be the one he'd heard about in those childish fairy-tales. His own mother had sparked worry. She would tell him stories about olden times in a land where people never became ill and never grew old. She would speak in a nostalgic voice as if she were reading the Bible to him. She literally believed in those scary stories about vampires and witches. She had even told him one or two about werewolves but he'd been skeptic-calling his own mother a crazy lunatic.

And now his Caroline was the girl in the stories. The girl who'd either bring salvation or destruction the world as they all knew it. He had hoped she wouldn't be. He'd been scared out of his wits the day Liz had given birth to her. A girl, the doctors had said. Bill had nearly had a heart attack right there.

But those eyes. Those innocently determined eyes kept him from giving up. He had wanted her to grow up like a normal human and never know of the horrors the world truly held. He didn't want her to know of witches and vampires. He never wanted her to show magic. He didn't have any magic-he might've once, but he lost the ability to connect to it since he'd never practiced. All these years he'd been praying she wouldn't develop her witch powers. God only knew what her angelic side might develop into.

"You're absolutely right, Caroline." he answered finally and briefly. "You're not me. You're good. You're caring. Anything you put your mind to you can do."

Caroline shook her head. "I can't. I can't kill somebody, I'm just a teenager. I should be worrying about school and boys right now, not panicking about whether or not I can kill some thousand year old witch and her creepy brother."

"You're the chosen one, Caroline." he whispered slowly. His health was diminishing quickly. He'd tried to put up a good front for her but his attempts were becoming feeble. "It's you. The daughter of Artemis. The priestess of both nature and Heaven. You were chosen. You. Because you're strong."

* * *

"You never told me exactly how you knew the other witch-angel hybrid." Bonnie stated, messing with the straw in her iced coffee.

Kol's eyes landed on her in a playful manner. He took a sip from his black coffee and shrugged. "I hung out quite a bit with witches. They're always better company when in comparison to my brother."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm serious. You mentioned it and now I want to know."

They locked eyes for a brief moment before he nodded. "Okay. Okay. I'll tell but only if you tell me as to why a girl like you could possibly be single."

When he said that, the coffee Bonnie had just sipped out of her straw threatened to spill out through her nose. She choked a bit and coughed. Had he really just said that?

"What? I'm not telling you anything about my personal life!"

He pursed his lips. "Very well. I guess I won't tell you how I met the little devil, then."

"Hey!" she exclaimed. "Seriously. Tell me because I need to know these things in order to help Caroline, remember?"

"Fine." He took another swig of coffee before explaining. "I met her in the 12th century in Italy. Niklaus had wanted to settle there for the time being and who were we to object? Rebekah was out being courted by some Italian, Klaus was busy plotting, Elijah was off doing God-knows-what and I," he smiled sinisterly. "I was out looking for mischief."

"Why am I not surprised?" Bonnie said sarcastically, earning herself an eye roll from him.

"Anyways, I found it soon after. I came upon a clan of witches- a coven, see. They were a tight-knitted group. Skeptics of any and all newcomers because by then, vampires were a rapidly growing species." he flashed his teeth at her. "They let me in, though. Mainly because most of their little witchy antics weren't of use when it came to me-one of the pros of being an Original. The second was because they knew of Klaus and of what their ancestral friend, Aiana, had predicted. She'd predicted of a priestess. Young and vital. Beautiful. A daughter of Artemis."

"What does that mean? Daughter of Artemis?" Bonnie questioned slowly.

"Of the night. When the planets were in a linear form and a child was born in that night, the baby is thereafter known as a daughter of Artemis. Only girls were significant-it has something to to with the Greek mythology crap. But that's besides the point-the point is that they had a young witch who had been born on that night. A pale beauty, she was. Raven hair with mesmerizing eyes. I grew fond of her very quickly."

Bonnie nodded, intrigued. "And what happened? How did you know that she was also part angel?"

"We were in a rather... Compromising situation when she confessed. She said she was from the heavens. Her mother had had an affair with another Italian. Turns out her father was an angel."

"Wait- I don't understand. Angels can't be with mortals, can they?"

Kol shook his head. "She was mistaken. Her father was a fallen angel who happened to take advantage of a poor woman who had assumed he was her husband. Pity. The witch was nephilim mixed with witch ancestry. She was pure but.. Not the one we were searching for."

"So, what happened? Were her powers any different?"

"She had prophetic dreams and could do spells just like any other witch. But she wasn't bound by the spirits, if that's what you're asking. She drew power straight from Heaven itself. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. She would write in symbols and somehow, she could speak them. It wasn't Latin. No, this was something entirely foreign. Her power was unconventional and she wasn't even the Chosen One." he leaned forward in his seat. "Imagine what Caroline could do since she is the one. That little blonde human has the potential to save or destroy us all at the flick of a finger."

Bonnie sucked in a breath. "Can she control it? Can she keep it together?"

Kol bit the inside of his cheek. "That's a good question, darling. Unfortunately I don't have the slightest idea if she can."

* * *

**_There was a lot of Kennett in this one, not so much Klaroline though. No worries. There's more to come later on ;)_**

**_Yay or nay on this chapter?_**

**_-Fanatic4Fiction_**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Vampire Diaries.**

**Thanks to all who reviewed last time :) And thanks for following/favoriting this story, it means a lot. Here's chapter eight! Enjoy! :D**

* * *

By the time Caroline was done talking to her dad, it was around five in the afternoon. Somehow time had flown by and as she shut the door behind her, she couldn't help but feel immense weight on her shoulders.

Her dad knew. He'd had his suspicions the entire time and hadn't bothered to tell her of who she was and, ultimately, what she could be capable of. Although he hadn't wanted to delve deep into the consequences, she assumed they were bad. Like, really really bad.

"I'm sorry I made you wait out here forever." she apologized as Klaus stood up from his seat in the waiting room. She wondered if he had actually stayed there the entire time. "You don't have to babysit me, you know." her eyes met his. "If I'm as dangerous as everybody is making it sound then I think I can take care of myself."

He smiled crookedly. "The fact that you're the one who was practically forced to raise two evil beings from the dead makes me think otherwise, sweetheart. Now, I think it's best if we head to Bonnie's. Yes?"

Caroline huffed. "Fine."

As they made their way to the parking lot, Klaus let his gaze drift to the blonde walking next to him. He couldn't exactly wrap his mind around her yet. She was here, in the flesh. After a thousand years of searching and waiting, he had finally found her. It made him feel somewhat like an idiot, though. The whole time he'd been preoccupied with breaking the hybrid curse and he never bothered to open his eyes to the doppleganger's friends. All he had seen back then was rage and the need to fulfill who he was.

But the longer he spent with her the less he was capable of recognizing who he had been a few weeks ago. And that frightened so much more than Mikael ever had when he had been a human. A vulnerable and, yes, scared human who would coward down to his father. And Caroline, the human thrown into the entire mix, wasn't even scared out of her senses. Sure, he could see that she was nervous and somewhat still grasping the concept that the supernatural actually existed, but he had yet to see the glimmer of true fear in her wondrous eyes.

She must've noticed him staring at her because she turned her gaze to him slowly and he immediately removed his eyes.

_Okay_. he thought to himself. _Personal boundary has been crossed. No need to leer._

"Are you okay?" she asked him softly.

He nodded once. "Yes. I was just.. We should hurry before the witch gets suspicious."

Caroline raised her eyebrows. Was it something she had said? "Are you sure? Because you kept staring at me…"

"Well, it isn't like you're a sore for the eyes." Caroline blushed slightly and Klaus bit his own tongue. Dammit. He thought.

_Was that his way of calling me pretty?_ she thought silently.

_Did you really just imply that she's beautiful? _he added. "I've been… Alive for many centuries, Caroline. Believe me, you're… Striking."

_You aren't making it any better._ he thought again. He saw her cheeks flush a deeper red and he sighed. "I'm sorry if that makes you uncomfortable."

"No- it's just… I don't think anyone has ever called me anything besides being plain pretty. You know, there's a big difference between being pretty and being beautiful."

"Of course there is. Beauty comes from within and can have the potential to change the world. Pretty is just a mediocre term."

She bit her lip and he had to look away. It was as if she had no idea what she awakened from inside of him. It was a need, a hunger, that needed to be sedated if not quit cold turkey. He couldn't just say he wanted her- God only knew how much he wanted her.

He'd seen her coming for a long time now and his body along with a strange sensation in his chest were beginning to crack. It seemed like politeness and his pride were the only two things keeping him from making her his. Caroline was beautiful… She was unlike anything he'd ever seen before and it made him sad that she didn't even have a clue of the effect she could have on people.

* * *

Kol face-palmed himself as Bonnie continued to laugh at his story about one of his many misadventures over the centuries. He didn't think this girl could laugh so hard.

"Are you kidding me? You can't possibly think I believe that you were the reason for Thoreau-a highly recognized writer-to high tail it out of the woods and back to town." Bonnie assessed.

Kol rolled his eyes. "I was hunting and he assumed I was a bear."

"Have you met you? You are a bear." Bonnie teased.

Kol shook his head. "Alright darling. I told you many, many things about myself. Now it's your turn." he countered, handing her the bottle of bourbon. She wasn't much of a day drinker but then again, there was always room for something new. Taking a small sip, she shrugged.

"What do you want to know?"

Kol was silent for a moment as he thought. After a few seconds, he asked, "Tell me about your family. What are they like?"

"Well, you've met my Grams." Bonnie pointed out, handing him back the bottle. She never was one to drink. The liquid burned her throat a bit. "My dad's an uptight man and my mom's a no-show. Sometimes I live with my dad. Sometimes I stay here." she looked around the quaint living room. All of the little witchy relics were placed here and there to remain conspicuous. "It's home. It's a safe place to land, you know?"

She looked at him as he stayed silent, turning the bottle of liquid over and over in his hands. "No, not really."

Bonnie's eyebrows scrunched together. "What you mean?"

His soft colored eyes looked at her carefully. "I've never exactly had a safe place to land. That's one of the downsides of being an Original. Somebody always hates you; someone is always out to kill you."

"Maybe they try to kill you because you've killed a lot of people?" she offered. Kol shook his head.

"There's something you must understand, Bonnie. My family and I... We weren't born monsters. It's radical people like the vampire hunters, or," he swallowed. "Or my father and mother that turned us into what we are today. We're not monsters-we've just learned to survive the harsh realities that life just so happens to offer an immortal being."

The look in his eyes as he explained only made her feel guilty. Yes, everyone had their family issues but who was she to complain? At least her parents or Grams weren't trying to have her killed. At least her Grams had let her choose who to be. Kol hadn't had a choice in the matter. His father had made the choice for him-he'd taken away his human life. And with it, any vulnerability. Yet here he was, exposing himself to her.

Tentatively, she reached out her hand and clasped his. Immediately, their eyes locked together intensely and Bonnie's heart started beating rapidly as she found herself leaning in the way he was.

A loud knock on the front door broke them out of their bubble and Bonnie stood up quickly, her face warm.

_What the hell? _she scolded herself. _Get your shit together, Bonnie!_

"Caroline!" Bonnie greeted. Caroline took in her friend's currently flustered state and gave her a look. Bonnie shook her head in a 'Don't ask' kind of way. As Caroline moved from the doorway, she jumped a little as Klaus appeared in her line of vision. "I can't invite you in," she said.

Klaus nodded. "I understand. I just need to speak to my brother." He looked at Kol who looked less than eager to leave. But he put the bottle aside and without protesting, he stood.

Once both men were out of the house, Bonnie slowly turned to look at Caroline's wary expression.

"Are you okay?" they asked each other in the exact same moment. "Not really." They answered in unison.

Caroline nodded and gulped, motioning for Bonnie to explain first. "I almost kissed Kol." Bonnie confessed.

Caroline's blue eyes widened. "What? What?! How?"

"We were talking and... I don't even know how but I almost kissed him." she held up her hands in defeat. "You know what? It didn't happen and it won't happen. He's a vampire. An original vampire. I'm a witch. That is a big 'no'."

Caroline bit the inside of her cheek. "Vampires and witches can't be together?"

Bonnie raised a brow. "Well, there's never been an actual written conflict but... It's just in our nature to not trust vampires. To be with one... That would conflict with who we are: witches. Servants of nature."

The blonde huffed. You should just spill. Caroline thought internally. About how your dreams are more consistent. "Bonnie. Can I tell you something?"

"Yeah. What's wrong, Care?"

Bonnie watched as Caroline's breathing picked up slightly. "I keep having these... Flashes. They're like snippets of dreams but they feel...They feel too real. Is that- is that normal?"

Bonnie thought for a second. "Prophetic dreams and actions are. Clairvoyance is normal for a witch. But you said you've been having flashes? Like, when?"

Caroline shrugged. "Whenever. Most of the time it happens when I'm alone. I get this image in my head."

"Like what?" Bonnie questioned.

"I keep seeing myself except- except it's not me. Does that make any sense?" Caroline asked desperately. She didn't wholeheartedly understand everything that was going on. After all, she'd grown up her whole life thinking none of this existed. Now all of a sudden she was suppose to just believe it and know what was happening? "I've always had dreams, Bonnie. But now… They feel so much more realistic and it's driving me crazy. I can't…. I can't keep acting like it's no big deal; like I know what I'm doing when I'm clearly not."

Caroline finished her rant and breathed heavily. She always panicked when she didn't have a reasonable answer. "What's wrong with me?" Caroline added, her voice shaking slightly. Bonnie immediately led her to the couch, setting her down and hugging her.

"Caroline," Bonnie started. "You have to understand that magic works in mysterious ways. We- We don't always know why these strange things happen but no matter how much we may not like it, it happens for a reason. To guide us." she pulled back from the hug and looked at her sympathetically.

"It's a lot to take in," Caroline said, breathing deeply. "And what if I can't do it? That thing I do with fire is weird. Uncontrollable. You've seen it."

"It only feels that way because you're new at it. Once you get the hang of it it'll be easier- I promise."

Caroline huffed. "This just isn't me, Bonnie. I'm a human- a person who doesn't have anything special. Somebody who isn't special. I- I don't belong in this stuff."

"That's how I felt at first," Bonnie responded. "And I was so scared of what might happen. Do you know when I realized I was a witch?"

Caroline shook her head.

"It was the night that Tanner died. I'd been obsessed with three numbers, just three. It turned out that I had seen his death coming and it freaked me out. It was scary to have that kind of knowledge before anything happened. After that, at the car wash I was the one that started the freak fire."

Bonnie shook her head.

"Ever since then Grams has been helping me exercise it- helping me expand my potential." When she noticed that Caroline wasn't making eye contact with her, Bonnie let out a frustrated sigh. "It isn't easy. Hey- listen to me, Caroline. It isn't easy. But it's your supernatural destiny to do this-to learn. To help keep balance."

"Why did this happen to me?" Caroline questioned, her stubborn side becoming more prominent. "I was getting use to who I was as a normal, clueless human girl. A neurotic, insecure teenage girl who was only worried about making her mom care and competing with Elena for everything-"

"You really want to be that person?" Bonnie countered. "You want to be shallow, self-absorbed Caroline again? The girl who made reckless mistakes? The same girl I've know my whole life that would do anything to not feel anything- no pain, no actual happiness?"

Tears stung Caroline's eyes. "It's the only thing I've ever_ known_, Bonnie. It's what I'm good at. Right? Poor little Caroline- clueless and pathetic. Let's all feel sorry for her because her dad is dying!" she flailed her hands in the air, her rant becoming more and more desperate. She was cracking, that much Bonnie could see. There was only so much she could handle…

"Please, take a deep breath Caroline before you burn the entire house down!" Bonnie said. She sent good vibes to her friend and after a few brief moments, it began to be effective. The crazy left Caroline's eyes and her breathing became more stable.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry I freaked out like that, Bonnie." Caroline said slowly, wiping her face with her sleeve. She watched her friend shake her head.

"Caroline, can I show you something?"

They made eye contact and Caroline bit the inside of her cheek. "What?"

"I want you to come with me somewhere-somewhere away from the town. Let's go to the Falls." Bonnie stood up, holding her hand out. Cautiously, Caroline took it.

* * *

If there was anything Kol hated, it was running errands for Klaus. The only reason he'd even agreed to doing it was because Klaus still possessed the daggers and the white oak ash and Kol liked breathing too much to defy one simple favor.

Well, if you could call killing someone a simple task. Since Kol was the only one who had actually spent many years around witches- living and breathing with them- he was fit for the task. Klaus wanted to find a witch with enough knowledge to help stop Garnet. It seemed like Klaus knew that time was of the essence and Caroline was, to say the least, not adjusting well.

Not to mention she's naive and can be easily manipulated. Kol chastised silently as he read the name of the old antique shop. Georgia weather was never his favorite and neither was the scenery.

Opening the door, he scrutinized every corner for any traps- he knew that witches could easily sense vampires.

"Can I help you?" a young woman asked. Her dark skin had a thin sheet of sweat. In her hand she held a paper fan.

"I'm looking for a Genevieve Benson. Know anybody by that name?"

The young woman's polite smile dropped in a heartbeat. In the blink of an eye, the door slammed shut behind Kol and he heard the lock click. He raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"What do you want, vampire?" she hissed.

"I take it you know Genevieve." Kol said instead of answering her question.

The woman glared. "She's my grandmother."

"Is she here?"

She didn't say anything, instead with the flick of her hand, she pushed Kol's body back against the wall. "I don't associate with vampires and neither does my grandmother. Understand?"

Kol laughed maniacally. "I understand your family owes my brother, Niklaus. He saved your line if I remember correctly."

Her gaze turned from angry to shocked. Slowly, she released her telekinesis and Kol dusted off his shirt.

"Your brother is Klaus? The original hybrid?"

Kol's eyes gleamed with amusement. "Kol Mikaelson here to collect. I need to speak to your grandmother."

"She isn't here- and she doesn't want anything to do with that monster of a brother you have."

His mouth twitched and with his vampire speed, he had her against the wall, his hands on her throat.

"I think that for your sake you should point me in the direction of your grandmother. It's important and although I normally don't hurt witches, I won't hesitate to do so if you don't comply. Clear?"

The woman blinked slowly. "In the back. She's in the back."

Kol released her and she entered a coughing fit. He wasn't even phased. "Lead the way, darling."

* * *

"Bonnie what are we doing here?" Caroline asked, stumbling slightly as they walked through the woods. She could begin to hear the faint roaring of the waterfalls. She'd only been there once or twice and she had never liked it. Something about it made her skin tingly- a sensation that scared her a bit for unknown reasons.

"You'll see, just be patient." Bonnie answered, making her trail. Moments after, they finally reached the destination. "Remember how I told you that witches are nature's servants?"

"Yes." Caroline said.

Bonnie smiled. "Witches also feel everything nature feels. We're connected to it- it speaks to us." she looked at Caroline. "And we can draw energy from the elements. Like the waterfall or," she bent down and grabbed a handful of leaves. "Or the earth. Anything that is an element, really."

"Okay," Caroline said. "I get where you're saying but what am I suppose to do now? Did we _literally_ come out here so you could tell me this?"

"We came out here so you could get in touch with nature. The Falls is secluded enough that nobody will see you practicing and besides, it's a great power source." She handed Caroline a leaf. Holding the rest in her own hands, Bonnie breathed slowly. "I want to practice levitation with you. Okay? It's simple and harmless. All you have to do is feel it… Visualize a current flowing from your hand to the leaf."

Caroline watched in awe as the leaves in Bonnie's hands began to float. They kept going higher and higher and Caroline's eyes gleamed with intrigue. "Bonnie, that is amazing!"

"All you have to do is picture the current getting bigger and stronger and…. then this happens. You want to try?"

Caroline bit her lip, nodding and opening her hand with the one leaf.

"Just picture it." Bonnie added.

Caroline stared at the leaf intently. Nothing was happening and she swallowed. Just picture a current… Caroline mused silently. It wasn't working though and Caroline's train of thought derailed back to when she was little and the first time she'd been to the waterfall. Her dad had taken her here, saying that they needed to give her mother a break for a couple of hours. Caroline remembered being five years old then and not having a care in the world… She felt free back then. She didn't have to worry about how much other people depended on her-about how much she needed to labor over being the best of the best. Of having the crazy drive for success. Anything to get her to feel whole.

"Caroline, open your eyes." Bonnie whispered. Caroline hadn't had any idea that her eyes were shut. When she opened them, her mouth dropped slightly as the leaf was gracefully floating in the air. But that wasn't why Bonnie was so awed. In fact, Bonnie wasn't just looking at the leaf. She was staring at their surroundings. Caroline turned her head slightly and she almost lost all sanity. Not only was the leaf from her hand floating, so were all of the loose leaves in the surrounding area of her. They surrounded the girls like a curtain of green.

"Bonnie, is this normal for the first time?" Caroline stuttered.

Bonnie shook her head. "I don't think I ever did this much the first time I levitated." she looked back to her friend. "Try moving them all…"

"How do I do that?" Caroline asked.

"Move your hand- slowly."

Caroline did just as Bonnie instructed, moving her fingers slowly in a rotating motion. With the fascination of a small child, the blonde witnessed as the leaves did just as she commanded. And the weird part was that she liked the feeling. For once something that she could take control of…. It seemed to ignite her nerve-endings in an unexplainable way. It was like setting fire to rain- impossible to understand but easy to see. After being dormant for so long, she felt completely and undeniably free.

She felt like she was at the top of the world.

"Bonnie… This is… Amazing. It feels so liberating." she commented, still enthralled with her motions. "How- How do I…"

"Stop?" Bonnie offered. Caroline nodded. "Just break the current. Let it go."

Caroline dropped her hand abruptly, letting the leaves fall like rain. Feeling like a five year old again, she laughed- truly laughed at the scene.

Bonnie watched as Caroline looked happy- something Bonnie hadn't genuinely seen since Bill Forbes had become sick. She watched as the blonde's eyes twinkled with excitement and how easily it was for her to do her magic so soon. It had taken Bonnie a while for her to access her full potential. For Caroline to achieve the same in so little time was both mesmerizing and frightening.

Could it be the Angel's blood that was causing her to have a better affinity for the supernatural?

If so, couldn't that also mean that Caroline was more capable of falling into the darkest kind of magic out there? It only made sense considering how unchallengeable light magic was for her to learn.

_What if she ends up falling for the darkness?_ Bonnie thought, an unwavering and terrible feeling forming in the pit of her stomach. Caroline was so easily manipulated... From everything Elena had told Bonnie about what Damon had done to her... About how easily Caroline could get caught up in a mess. How simple it was to get her to believe something.

_No, she has to be strong. Right?_

* * *

**Sorry I've been such an asshole with updating. I have to focus on my upcoming AP exams which I'm sure I'm going to fail. Yay me, right? Anyways, I'm still doing this story so don't give up on me! Thanks for reading and remember to review! Reviews help fuel my motivation to continue this story!**

**-Fanatic4Fiction**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own TVD.**

**About damn time I updated, right? I know, I know. I hadn't started the chapter two weeks ago to update-then last weekend I forgot to pay my stupid wi-fi bill. But here it is! Chapter 9, although I'm not sure if I should continue as it is or if I should maybe revamp the story? Eh, let me know by dropping a review! Please? Pretty please? They do motivate me :}**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_Caroline was dreaming. _

_It was a quaint dream-the kind that soothed a soul instead of exciting it. There was a slight cloud overcast that dimmed the sky a light gray and the wind was blowing slightly. From the corners of her eyes she could see her blonde hair dance ever so slightly in the wind. It was the most peaceful thing that she had ever felt. _

_Just as she was beginning to succumb to the peace, the scene shifted and suddenly there was a golden sunset. But what really threw her off was that Klaus was lying next to her on the soft grass._

_"What are you doing here?" she whispered softly and slowly. She watched his blue eyes scrutinize her._

_"This is your dream, Caroline. Why don't you tell me?"_

_There was a pause before she breathed out slowly. "How is it that I feel so...so attached to you despite barely knowing who you are?" she licked her lips. "After everything that Elena and Bonnie have told me about you, I should be afraid. If anything, I should hate you for all the harm you've done to my friends. To other people."_

_"But?" he challenged, a small smirk forming on his lips._

_"But I don't hate you. If anything, I'm just more intrigued," she confessed. "Is that wrong?"_

_The Klaus in her dream sighed. "Absolutely not." He shifted, his hand reaching slowly out to touch hers. It was a simple touch, almost __feather-like._

_Caroline smiled small. In her dreams everything made sense when it came to him. There was no awkwardness or intimidation that only reality could set in. In here she could tell him- tell him about all the times she had dreamt of him. Of how they were almost like a puzzle, fitting together to tell a story..._

_There was a large gust of wind and suddenly, her dream shifted into something much more sinister. She was no longer lying on the grass in a meadow-instead she found herself standing on a stone __platform,__ a storm brewing in the night sky. The wind was fierce against her body and she clenched her hands into fists. _

_She wasn't alone. Garnet was there, murmuring something in gibberish and Devin was holding down Klaus. Caroline's eyes widened as she saw that he was obviously severely wounded. Blood trickled from his mouth and there was a sharp pain in her chest at the sight of him injured so badly._

_"Accept your true fate, Caroline." Garnet's voice echoed harshly. But Caroline wasn't turning away from Klaus' gaze just yet. He seemed to be waiting for her to do something; anything to stop this madness. "Complete the ritual. Be with me."_

_Caroline finally shifted to look at Garnet's smirking face. Her dark eyes pierced Caroline's soft green ones. She was holding a silver dagger. As Caroline robotically reached out to take it, she heard Klaus shout._

_"Caroline! Stop! You're stronger than this," he rasped, coughing up more blood as Devin applied more force to his neck._

_She looked back to him gently and for the first time since her nightmare began, felt something slippery on her hands. Looking down she immediately felt sick to her stomach. Her hands were bathed in crimson._

_Blood._

"Stop!" Caroline shouted, bolting into a sitting position in her bed. It was the first night back in her own house and as much as she had hoped for one good night's rest, it looked like the universe had other plans for her.

She let out a strangled breath, her shaking hands wiping her sweaty forehead. Immediately she removed her hands from her face as if they were covered in acid, checking tentatively to make sure that it had all been just a dream.

_Good lord. Get it together, Caroline_. she shoved her covers aside, the chilly pre-dawn air causing goosebumps on her bare legs. She silently cursed herself for wearing shorts as she made her way downstairs and to her kitchen. By the looks of it, her mother had already left early for her day shift, meaning that it left Caroline all alone in a big, empty house.

As she got herself a glass of water, her mind drifted back to the horrific nightmare. They'd been clearer now that she had been opened up to the supernatural. However, that also meant that they were much scarier and albeit, that much more confusing to her. Caroline honestly didn't know how to handle it all. She was barely getting the hang of training, much less playing some important role in the whole scheme of things.

She bit her lip, chewing it slightly as she thought about other things, like Klaus. They had definitely spent more and more time together as he tried to somewhat educate her on the supernatural world. So far she was getting to understand things, well, when she payed attention that is. Sometimes her teenage mind would wander when Caroline would stare at his lips for too long or the way-

Stop! she intercepted, feeling ashamed for even thinking of him in such a way. This was Klaus she was talking about- a thousand year old hybrid who would probably taunt her for thinking about him in that way. He probably thought she was a silly little naive girl. A mortal. A burden.

It's not helping anyone if you keep throwing yourself pity parties, Caroline rallied, moving her stiff body to the living room couch. She sat down idly and stared at the pictures on the wall. It made her sad now to see old photos of how her family used to be before the sickness, before her parents decided they didn't want to try anymore.

What kind of couple does that? Get married, have kids, then decide one day that they just don't love each other anymore? It amazed Caroline what could go on through their heads the moment they decide to just give up. To stop fighting for each other just because the road got difficult.

You're one to preach. Look at your track record, her conscience countered. She sighed, shaking her head.

Yes, she had made her own mistakes in the past. Careless mistakes for the naive girl, she continued to think. She should have never had a fling with Tyler Lockwood. As much as she tried to see the bright side of things with him, he always treated her like crap. Sure, he might have cared about her at some point but how much?

Not enough, apparently.

Her mind drifted to shameful moments in her life that she wished she could take back when she smelled the smoke. Bolting up on her feet, her eyes widened slightly at the flickers of bright red and orange emanating from her kitchen. She immediately went into panic mode as she moved to locate the fire extinguisher.

When she failed to find it, she moved to go to the faucet but flames were already beginning to grow bigger, engulfing the surrounding area. Her heart hammered. How could this have happened? Nothing in the kitchen had been on... There weren't candles or wires for a fire to happen.

Remembering when Bonnie had told her about control, she stretched out her hand in a sad attempt to bring down the flames. But the more she tried, the more they seemed to grow hungrier and hungrier.

_Okay, now would be a good time to call 911. Or, you know, leave! _she thought quickly, coughing violently before giving up on her magic, backtracking to the front door as she retrieved her car keys.

Rummaging across her body, she cursed herself for leaving her phone inside. But the smoke was getting thicker and she didn't want to risk causing permanent damage to herself when she was already delirious. Moving quickly, she climbed into her car, her eyes watching flames in her house as she gripped the steering wheel.

_I can't even put out a damn fire, how am I suppose to defeat Garnet? _Caroline shut her eyes tightly, wishing and praying the nightmare would just end.

After what seemed like forever, she reopened them, releasing her deadly grip in her steering wheel. She hadn't even gotten to turn the engine on before she had reached her peak. Taking a deep breath, she glanced at what should have been a house engulfed in flames. Instead, she sat there staring at her house. It looked as if nothing had ever happened at all.

Puzzled, she cautiously opened her car door and walked through her front door. There were no traces of smoke and as she entered the kitchen once more, her eyebrows knit together in utter confusion. Where there should have been burn marks there was nothing. Absolutely nothing.

_As if the fire hadn't happened at all. _Then she looked closer.

They were faint lines- lines that seemed stained onto the counter top as opposed to being drawn on. Her hear skipped a beat as she took a closer look at the lines- no, letters. They were letters. Once she could make out what it was, she gasped, her shaking hand covering her mouth.

"No, no, no..." she murmured in a state of complete fear. She quickly went back to the living room to retrieve her phone and dialed the only number she could even think of in that one moment.

* * *

"What happened?" Klaus demanded as he stood outside of Caroline's house. He hadn't been invited in yet which only frustrated him all the more. "Caroline." he stated, watching as the shaking blonde gave him an apologetic look before inviting him in.

The other witch, Bonnie, sighed. "She said she saw a fire but when she came back inside, it was gone and instead, there was this," she motioned to the counter where the terrifying message resided.

Klaus tentatively stepped forward, his head tilting slightly as he read the message.

_**HE'S NEXT.**_

"Excuse me if I don't react the way you have but to whom is this thing referring to?" Klaus questioned, raising an expectant eyebrow at the witch.

Bonnie sighed but Caroline spoke in her place. "My dad. I'm sure of it- he's the one who's the most vulnerable."

He groaned inwardly. "I suppose it makes sense. Everyone in this bloody town knows about him so it's no surprise that Garnet would as well."

Caroline shook her head. "But it's me that she wants. Why would she threaten to hurt him?"

"Collateral damage. If you refuse to do what she wants, then she kills him. Simple, really." he stated blandly. He could see her panicky green eyes and shook his head. "Rest assured, no harm will come to you father, Caroline."

Bonnie glanced between the both of them as they seemed to lock eyes momentarily.

"I won't let him get hurt," he repeated. She must know already, right? That he would do anything for her to remain safe?

Caroline nodded, breaking their connection as she turned to Bonnie. "I don't think it's such a good idea that I stay alone. Can I stay with you?"

Bonnie shrugged. "Yeah, of course." She uncrossed her arms, looking between Klaus and Caroline again. "I'll just, uh, go start the car."

Caroline waited until Bonnie was outside to look back at Klaus. "I need to talk to you."

He nodded, waiting.

"Is there a possibility that my nightmares are accurate visions into, you know, the future?"

Klaus gave her a strange look. "Well, technically. That's the whole gist with witches, their dreams tell them things. Why do you ask?"

"Because just last night I had one where-" she gulped. "Where you die."

Something flickered in his eyes. "That's impossible. I'm the Original Hybrid. I can't be killed so easily, Caroline."

"I know- but in my dream, it looked like..."

_Like I was the reason why Devin was about to kill you._

"It looked like what, Caroline?" he asked again. He saw her eyes as they wavered under his own stare.

"Nothing- You're probably right, it must have been a fluke dream or something. Nevermind," she uncrossed her arms and sighed, glancing once more at the creepy message on the counter-top before walking out.

Klaus watched as she left, wishing he could have gathered up the courage to just tell her. Tell her everything that he had begun to feel just by being near her. He couldn't, of course. He couldn't because it would frighten her and draw her further away from him. Technically speaking, she barely knew him. Why would she suddenly want something more? Why would she suddenly feel anything towards him in the first place?

* * *

"The child is weak. She will not be ready for the fight when it comes," a thick voice resounded into the empty space.

There was a murmur of mixed voices, all talking at once. Suddenly, one of the softer ones spoke briefly, "Give the girl a chance to prove herself. She will not disappoint."

"Were we correct in doing this? In giving her such power? If her will is weak, she will be useless. This is a battle we cannot afford to lose, Helena."

"I realize this." the female voice stated. She might be an Elder but she still felt sympathy towards the mortal girl. It was similar to how a mother might feel for her child. After all, Helena had been one of the few that had decided that this would be the child. Why?

Perhaps it had been something she had seen in the girl's future. Something stronger than physical bindings.

Helena had seen a girl who was willing to fight for everything she believed in. A young girl who loved with everything that she was.

She will come to the right state of mind soon enough, she thought silently.

"Give her time. She will bring forth salvation."

* * *

The smell of coffee filled the Mystic Grill's seating area as Bonnie, Caroline, and Elena slid into a booth. They had decided it would be best to play hookie from school.

"How are you?" Elena asked softly, her worried eyes landing on Caroline's tired and distressed face.

"Like this could all be a complicated dream." Caroline stated blandly. The waitress came to take their orders and then left quickly once again. "I just, I'm sure what I should be doing anymore. I saw that fire in my house... Suddenly nothing happened?"

"It could have just been Garnet playing mind tricks on you," Bonnie suggested.

Caroline shrugged. "I don't know- shouldn't I be stronger than this? Everybody seems to keep talking about how strong and dangerous I am but I'm so weak."

"It just takes a while for you to tap into your full powers." Bonnie reassured.

"Yeah, Bonnie told me that it took her a while to exercise her powers to where they are now," Elena said.

The waitress handed them their coffee then left again. Caroline closed her eyes and took in the comforting smell of the beverage.

"How's training with the narcissistic Klaus?" Elena asked.

Caroline looked up to her friend. She knew that Elena hated him with everything that she was but he hadn't made any attempt to harm her in weeks. That's why it was a bit of a surprise that Elena would want to talk about him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Elena restated. "That you've spent quite a bit of time with him-alone. In his house. For hours."

"If you're implying that I like him then you're wrong. It's not like that with him," Caroline said calmly. Well, she didn't want it to be that way right now. Not without having known him long enough. Besides, he was like a thousand years old. Whenever they were alone together, she always had to watch what would come out of her mouth, afraid it might be something a stupid kid would say. He was so much smarter than her- it was intimidating.

"I'm just saying, there's no need to get defensive."

"Well, he isn't completely unpleasant." Caroline answered. "He tries to be nice... At least when he's with me. It's not like he threatens to kill me every other minute. Besides, all we talk about is supernatural stuff. He's just trying to make sure I know what's what."

Elena shrugged. "I guess. It's just... Weird. I mean, the guy did kill me. Not to mention how many countless innocents he's slaughtered over the centuries."

Bonnie cleared her throat. "Okay, how about we change the subject, yes?"

* * *

"Are you telling me that you were the one who made up the whole Sun and the Moon Curse?" Caroline asked, baffled. She squinted a little from how bright the sun was.

Klaus nodded, getting slight amusement from recalling his previous misdemeanors. "Elijah had been the one to remind me many centuries ago but yes, I was the one that wrote that down. I was in search of the moonstone. I needed allies who would want the same thing. I had promised to break their curse as long as they helped me find it."

"How did you get witches to help you?"

"Back then it wasn't difficult to convince a witch to aid in a worthy cause. Some were drawn to darkness. Others just wanted a way to exercise their powers."

Caroline let out a breath, an idea popping into her head. She'd been practicing her levitating since Bonnie had taken her to the Falls. That's why she had decided that they move their history lessons to the waterfalls today. Once they crossed the wooden bridge and into an opening of trees, she smiled.

"Okay, can I show you something that I've been working on?"

Klaus looked around to make sure there weren't any other humans around. "Sure."

Caroline smiled and closed her eyes, concentrating just like she had practiced. She could feel nature all around her. It tingled in the tips of her fingers and she felt a flow of energy circulating like a current in her body. Moving her palm up slowly, she opened her eyes and beamed at the result. This time it hadn't been just the leaves around her that levitated up in the air, now droplets of water surrounded them as well. The longer she practiced the stronger her field of range got.

But that wasn't all that she could do now. If she cleared her mind, she found that she could temporarily manipulate the weather. She closed her eyes again and thought of the opposite of a warm sunny day.

Klaus watched as Caroline shut her eyes, looking intently. She looked so free. There was suddenly sharp gusts of wind and he looked overhead at the now darkening sky. His eyebrows arched as he watched just exactly this one witch could do in such a short amount of time. While he was proud that she could do this now, a bit of him was worried just how far into magic she could succumb to.

He'd known from a few cases that if a witch lost the thing that kept her grounded, she could give herself over to the power. And while he'd been all about gaining power back before breaking his curse, now he wondered why. It wasn't like he had any agenda other than to keep the world as it was. After all, what was the point in living forever if the world ended?

He happened to like earth just the way it was right now. This was why he cared about stopping Garnet and Devin. It seemed like no matter how hard he tried to kill them, they just wouldn't stay dead. There was always some stupid naive follower that would try to resurrect them. It hadn't been until Caroline that he had kept them on the Otherside. Now they were slowly preparing to unleash hell on earth.

The breeze halted and Caroline opened her eyes. They were full of excitement as she managed a small smile.

"It gets easier every time I do it," she spoke softly. Her soft eyes landed on him and he felt the corners of his lips turn upward slightly.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" he asked.

Caroline shook her head. "Right now it's the only thing that feels good- the rest of the time that I'm not practicing I spend it worrying about my dad's health. About how if I don't keep trying and I don't get stronger, I'll probably fall on my ass when I have to face Garnet."

Klaus nodded. "I have a feeling you'll know what to do when that time comes. Instinct usually takes over when it comes to life or death."

Her eyes darkened slightly, the mood shifting from light to dark in a split second. "Is that how it usually is with you?" the statement came out sharper than she'd originally intended because she already knew he was a killer. Everybody told her and they never seemed to mind about the constant reminders.

Klaus sighed, his gaze moving away from Caroline. "You have to understand that every single time I killed someone it was for a purpose. I didn't blindly murder them despite what your friends might think."

She bit lip. "Have you ever felt guilty?"

He looked back to her. "For killing someone?"

Caroline nodded.

"I did feel slight remorse back when I first became a vampire. But over the years the predatorial instinct takes over and you no longer feel it- it fades with time the more you grow accustomed to it."

"I don't think I could ever kill anyone." Caroline stated. "Despite how mad I could get I don't believe I have it in me to actually end somebody's life."

His shoulders were rigid as she said it. No matter how much he tried to get her to trust him completely, she was still caught up in his past actions. She was still afraid of him.

"I won't hurt you, if that's what you're getting at." he said.

Her eyes looked up to him quickly, the blue in them shining. "I'm not scared about you hurting me," she gulped. "I'm scared of what I could do to you," she said, thinking back to the dream she'd had of him dying. Every nightmare- everything she saw seemed to open up her view of him. She knew that Bonnie hated him and that Elena despised him but she couldn't ever imagine hating him. He hadn't done anything to her. She's barely known him but being around him felt right; like a missing piece to a puzzle.

He tilted his head in confusion. What was she getting at, then, if not her fear of him? "I don't understand."

She sighed, her eyes sad. "Me neither."

* * *

**_And that's it for chapter 9. Yay, or nay?_**

**_Let me know ;)_**

**_-Fanatic4Fiction_**


	10. Chapter 10

Bonnie yawned, stretching as she heard a quick and persistent knocking downstairs. She glanced over at a sleeping Caroline. She could see her friend's eyelids flickering and frowned. She was having another dream.

Stealthily climbing out from the covers and tip-toeing downstairs, she hugged her robe closer as she opened the front door, only to be greeted by Kol.

"Morning, darling."

Bonnie groaned. "What do you want?"

"I just came by to see my favorite witch," he commented.

She rolled her eyes. "Do you have any idea what time it is? It's eight in the morning on a weekend. It's too early."

Kol shook his head, "Can I come inside? I need to talk to you."

Moving aside to let him in, Bonnie couldn't help but watch him. Her eyes lingered in his lanky figure and she sighed shakily. Her hormones were a bit out of control lately- it'd been a while since she'd even been on a date, much less since she'd... Well, you get the idea.

"I went down to Georgia yesterday," Kol started, taking his usual spot on the couch. Bonnie arched her brows in an expecting manner. "I consulted with a witch named Genevieve about how to stop Garnet."

"What did she say?"

"She was about as helpful as a fruit cup," he stated blandly. "She knows about certain groups of witches that still practice the dark magic that Garnet practices but she doesn't know much about her agenda."

"Wait-" Bonnie assessed. "I thought that Garnet followed the rules of the spirits. How can she have practiced dark magic?"

"Garnet is a two-sided monster. She doesn't necessarily follow what she preaches, you know. That's one of the reasons why she was so persistent in coming back even as a ghost. She never stops."

"What could she be planning?" Bonnie asked. "It's one thing to come back and live a life but... Why mess with the balance?"

There was an abrupt pause as Kol straightened up slightly.

Bonnie's forehead crinkled in confusion. "Kol?"

"Balance. That's it!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide as he stared at Bonnie. "Even Esther was disgusted about making us into vampires... Garnet is going to try and wipe out the entire vampire species."

"Kol- if she tries to do that, she's going to need some serious power," Bonnie said. She put her face in her hands.

"That's why she still needs Caroline- why she needs Klaus." Kol added.

Bonnie's eyes sparked and she shook her head. "Of course, it makes sense now."

Kol blinked. "What?"

"My Grams. She said that for Caroline to restore the balance-to stop Garnet-she needed an Original vampire, the original hybrid, and an original witch."

"She needs my family?" Kol asked.

She nodded once but let out a harsh breath. "But there's a hitch-there is no original witch. Your mother is dead."

They both stared at each other, contemplating the possible solutions. In order for Caroline to save them all, she needed the Originals. It would only make sense that Garnet needed them as well. It was the same spell but they were aimed at different results. Bonnie bit her lip and wondered when everything got so out of hand. She could barely recall the days when everyone was normal. When nobody knew about the supernatural world out there.

"Bonnie," Kol said sharply. "Is it possible to make a vampire back into a human?"

Bonnie shook her head. "No- vampires are dead so it wouldn't work. I assume they would just be dead. Besides, I don't know of any spell that would do such a thing. I think it'd be messing too much with the spirits and nature."

Kol was silent again. "The only way the whole original witch thing would work out is if Rebekah were to be a human again."

"Kol, I just don't think that's possible." Bonnie said morbidly.

* * *

_"Caroline." a beautiful voice echoed softly throughout the white abyss. It wasn't another nightmare and she wasn't dreaming of Klaus again. Instead, she seemed to be floating through an empty vacuum of white space. _

_"Where am I?" Caroline questioned cautiously, moving her hands in front of her. Luckily, she still seemed like herself. The other weird part was that she was dressed in a simple and pretty white dress with one thin gold band wrapped around her wrist and a similar belt wrapped around her waist. "What am I doing here?"_

_"You have suffered much, my child. You have an even greater journey ahead of you where you will suffer more."_

_"Well, that's comforting," she grumbled, squinting her eyes. "But you didn't answer my question."_

_"You are in the in-between. It is not quite the Otherside and it is not quite Heaven."_

_She shook her head. "That makes absolutely... No sense."_

_"We have chosen you, Caroline. You are our champion and you will restore balance."_

_"Listen- I'm not... I'm not what you think I am," she stated. "I can't be who you want me to be. I'm not a hero. I'm just an insecure, neurotic teenager who's a complete drama queen."_

_"You are unique," the voice said. "If you did not show promise we would not have chosen you. Believe in yourself, Caroline. Trust yourself and what you are capable of."_

_"How can I do that if I have no idea of what I'm doing?" _

_"Because we believe in you," the voice replied. For once, Caroline let that response fall through. Everyone seemed so certain that she could do this. So why couldn't she?_

_"What if I mess it all up? What if instead of saving everybody, I just end up killing them all?"_

_The mysterious voice didn't respond and Caroline's heart raced with anxiety. The momentary lapse was making her want to tremble-there was a feeling so dark and lost that it almost clouded her thoughts completely._

_"That's a risk we are all willing to take. You have the potential. Now, whether you use it for the right reasons is up to you. As a mortal you have free will-the decision is yours alone to make."_

_Caroline gulped. She was asking her to choose. It was all up to Caroline to be the savior. The feeling of immense responsibility landed on her shoulders and she found it hard to breathe. She had never been one to make good choices. She was just a stupid kid, reckless beyond belief. _

_Every mistake she had ever made came rushing back to her. All those rebellious moments, all the times she had recklessly let other guys use her, and for what? So she could try to feel something and not be numb anymore? So that for a single moment, she would be special?_

_Now the choice was hers and hers alone. Nobody could do this for her. That was the scariest thought of all... To have no one to rely on was one of Caroline's greatest fears, one she just couldn't run from anymore._

Caroline awoke slowly, her mind crawling to consciousness. She noticed that Bonnie was no longer there and bit her lip. Getting out quickly, she gathered fresh clothes and walked into the bathroom.

After changing and brushing her teeth, she came out and made her way downstairs.

"I just think that this is impossible," she heard Bonnie say. Walking into the living room, she stopped short when she saw that Kol was there, sitting on the couch with a grim expression plastered on his face.

"Hey," Bonnie said. "You're up."

Caroline nodded. "Yeah- I was just going to the hospital to see my dad. What are you doing here, Kol?" she asked, looking at the young vampire.

He shrugged. "Just informing Bonnie about some business I had down in Georgia."

The blonde blinked slowly, glancing between her longtime friend to the new boy that had abruptly entered their lives along with his crazy siblings. Caroline wasn't an idiot. She could see that something was definitely going on between the two. "Okay. Well, I'm going to get going. I'll see you later, Bonnie."

Bonnie nodded and watched as Caroline shut the front door. Her soft eyes shifted back to Kol, swallowing. "Why didn't you tell her?"

He rubbed his hands together. "I don't think it's a good thing for her to know right now. Just because of her powers being iffy and all," he justified. Bonnie sighed, running a hand through her hair in frustration.

"Bonnie, if I asked you to do something- if it was for the good of our cause- would you do it?" Kol asked.

Bonnie's eyes looked at him questioningly.

* * *

Caroline made her way to the reception desk, the hospital full of civilians. It seemed to be extra crowded and extra busy. Stepping aside to make room for a man in a wheelchair, she barely managed to make it to the desk in one piece.

"How may I help you?" the lady asked, taking a moment from her flurried movements to assist Caroline.

"I'm here to see Bill Forbes?"

The lady shifted to type into the computer. A couple of seconds passed before she shook her head. "He's already been checked out."

Caroline's heart stopped. "What?"

"Sweetie, your dad was discharged earlier this morning." the lady shrugged and left, leaving Caroline shocked.

_Clearly she made a mistake_, Caroline thought dizzily as she started to quicken her pace to the patient rooms across the lobby. She vaguely heard a man calling to her about a visitors pass but she muted him out, her mind focused solely on getting to the room. He had to be there, he just had to. Her breaths were faster and shorter as she shoved the door open and to her horror, the room was empty aside from a single note.

She clasped her hand to her mouth to muffle her yelp as she read the words on the paper. It was a simple segment that was scrawled messily across the parchment paper.

_I TOLD YOU HE WAS NEXT._

She didn't understand. Why was Garnet still tormenting her in such a manner? Why not kill her already? Her mind couldn't grasp the reason behind all the charading around. It was a sick and twisted game and she was the prey.

Clutching her stomach tighter, she made her way out of the building, her mind turning to only one person she could talk to about this.

* * *

"What do you mean he's gone?" Klaus muttered through the phone. Rebekah sighed on the other end.

"I mean he's gone. Kol left with Bonnie this morning." There was a rustle in the background. "No, you idiot! On the left!"

"Rebekah!" Klaus growled through the receiver. He didn't have time for this- there were other matters to attend to. Now, as resulted, Kol had taken Bonnie to God-knows-where without a single explanation. Klaus was just grateful that at least Rebekah had told him this instead of keeping to herself like she always does.

"I'm sorry, humans these days…" she cleared her throat. "So what's the plan?"

"Well I'm not exactly sure. Will you be sentimental if I shove a dagger through Kol's heart again? Or shall I hunt down the witch and keep her hostage so she doesn't leave?"

"Klaus?"

Klaus turned at the sound of Caroline's distressed voice.

"I'll have to call you back, Bekah."

Rebekah muttered something under her breathe and hung up the phone.

"Klaus-?" Caroline asked again when she reached the threshold. Her eyes were wide with worry.

Klaus frowned. "What happened?"

"She took my dad. She warned me about it and then it happened- you, you said-"

"Wait, slow down. Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure!" Caroline flailed her arms. "I checked- his room is empty and she left this sick note and," her breath stopped short.

_Oh God, not again_. Caroline thought dizzily as she clutched her stomach. These stupid anxiety attacks were becoming more frequent. It seemed that the more she delved into the supernatural the more they happened. The thick pounding in her head made her wince.

"Caroline?" Klaus said, grasping her shoulders squarely. He looked into her frantic eyes. "Calm yourself. Just breathe," he gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze. "Just breathe."

She did as she was told and amazingly, after a couple of seconds, the attack passed and she was left standing there dumbstruck and embarrassed for looking so vulnerable in front of Klaus.

"Better?" he asked.

Caroline nodded and swallowed. Suddenly the close proximity of his body unnerved her.

There was something in the air- something electric. Her heart rate sped up a bit as he kept his profound eye contact with her. A part of her, the silly human side, wanted to close the small gap between their faces. She just wanted to try and see if it was worth it. Surely the dreams she'd had of him hadn't just been to stop Garnet. Surely they meant something greater…

_He's not exactly bad to look at, either._ she thought briefly.

But her other side-the responsible witch side- kept shouting at her to stop. To not complicate the current platonic and strictly business relationship they currently shared.

Klaus frowned, her silence making him edgy. What could she possibly be thinking about?

_Get a grip,_ he thought harshly. Sighing, he released her shoulders. Caroline blinked and nodded again.

"Thanks."

"She's using your father as leverage to get you to do what she wants," Klaus stated. "You're not going to bend to her will."

"But won't she hurt him if I don't do what she wants?"

Klaus remained silent and she bit the inside of her cheek. Of course. He already knew that would happen. But what was she going to expect? Everything Bonnie and Elena had told her about him meant that he didn't care about anyone else besides himself. If saving her father meant risking their chances of stopping Garnet, he wouldn't do it. But there had to be a way, right? A way to accomplish both?

"Right," Caroline said after he didn't answer. She stepped back a bit to allow more space between them. She could barely stand close to him without having the urge to kiss him. To be closer.

"Bonnie's gone." Klaus said. "She left with Kol this morning."

She arched her brows. "What? Where?"

Klaus shrugged. "He didn't say- he failed to even mention taking Bonnie- in fact, he failed to tell me where exactly he was headed on such short notice."

"Let me call Bonnie," Caroline said slowly, reaching for her phone and hastily dialing. The other end rang until there was an automation for Bonnie's voice-mail. There was a groan and she ran a hand through her hair. "Oh god." She paced around. "Where could she be?"

"That's the million dollar question, love." Klaus said bitterly, pouring himself a glass of scotch.

Caroline let out a breath. "What are we going to do about my dad? I can't just leave him as a hostage. He's sick."

Klaus put his glass down, staring at her. "We're going to make it look like we're willing to do what Garnet wants."

She looked at him surprised.

"And when she least expects it," he ran a finger across the top of the glass. "I'm going to kill the bitch."

* * *

"I can't believe we're in Georgia," Bonnie said. "Without telling Klaus? Without telling Caroline?"

"They won't miss us, besides, this is a lead that'll give us the upper hand." Kol explained, killing the engine of the car. "Now the question is: where can we find this person?"

"Well, what does she look like?" Bonnie asked.

Kol drummed his thumbs against the steering wheel, blowing a puff of air. He wasn't making eye contact with her and Bonnie frowned.

"You have no idea what she looks like, do you?"

Kol remained silent, and Bonnie lost it. Her hand came up into the air and swatted his arm.

"I cannot _believe_ that you dragged me all the way to Georgia for a person we have never seen and we have _no clue_ how they look like!" she exclaimed, harshly swinging the door open.

She already didn't want to spend time with Kol- there was something dangerously tempting- and now they were in another state together- alone. She wanted to keep it strictly about their cause but he was making it entirely too difficult.

"Bonnie!" Kol said, getting out of the car and walking after her. She was walking briskly and he could have vamped sped to her at any moment, but like most vampires, he enjoyed the thrill of the chase.

"What?" she spat.

"I really think we should stick together. You never know what you might find in Georgia."

She stopped short. "What's that suppose to mean?"

Kol arched his brows. "What's what suppose to mean?"

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Ugh. You know what I mean!"

He sighed. "There are hotspots all around the western hemisphere. Clans of witches. Generations," Kol paused, swallowing. "Certain areas like New Orleans and here, it's a whole lot easier to find yourself in mischief."

There was a brief understanding as they stared at each other. For a moment, Bonnie seemed to get why Kol was always so mischievous. You learned from experience and he'd experienced a lot before Klaus had daggered him- including how to adapt.

"Is that what happened to you?" Bonnie murmured.

His eyes softened.

"We should start looking around. We have to hurry," he said as he backtracked towards the car.

* * *

_**I'm an asshole for not updating. I was super caught up in the end-of-the-school-year activities. I had two AP exams to study for, an SAT exam I need to retake come October, and I panicked because I'm now editor of the school newspaper. Yeah, I'm flying solo.**_

_**Stress!**_

_**But I'm determined to finish this story before I start my senior year. I swear! Please, leave a review for me! Reviews are the reason why I haven't abandoned this story. **_

_**Thanks, I love you guys!**_

_**-Fanatic4Fiction**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I don't own TVD. **

**This story is NOT beta-read, so forgive me if there are any errors! Enjoy!**

* * *

"Wait? He won't make it to the full moon," Devin said as he paced back and forth.

Miranda let out a breath. "Garnet needs him to stay alive. It's the only leverage we have against Caroline and Klaus."

The man sighed. "Niklaus is smarter than this. He would never follow someone else's plans for a hostage."

"Perhaps this is all a part of Garnet's plan," Miranda said. "Kidnapping Bill Forbes is to get to Caroline. Once we have Caroline, Klaus will surely fall through."

"And how can you be so sure of that? I've watched my son throughout the centuries from the Otherside. I've never seen him become vulnerable for a girl. Not even enough for his own family," Devin stated.

"There are certain things a witch is certain about," Miranda said. "And the way I see it, Klaus already cares about this girl."

* * *

_He was sure this was a dream by the way the clouds overcasted the forest. Just the forest. But through his years of experience, he knew not to break the links._

_Someone was trying to send him a message._

_"Niklaus."_

_He turned, his stare becoming cold as his mother materialized before him. _

_"Esther," he said dryly. _

_The blonde witch stepped forward, causing him to go straight into defense-mode._

_"There's no need to fear me, my son. I'm here to help you."_

_"Yes because that turned out so well the first couple of times," he spat out._

_She sighed. "Although I admit that my efforts were reckless, understand that none of this was my intention."_

_"Which part?" Klaus asked. "The endless mass killings I've done or just me in general?"_

_"Neither of those, Niklaus. I am here to help. Let me help you," she responded._

_He laughed cynically. It was brief enough to show his bitter side. "And why should I trust you?"_

_"Because I know of your feelings for the girl."_

_His smirk evaporated. _

_"You cannot fool me, you know. Aside from the endless observations I have done of you since I died, I also have my motherly intuitions. Believe me when I say that you care for her."_

_"She possesses a capability I need- she's an asset to ending Garnet."_

_Esther shook her head. "No; you love her."_

_He opened his mouth to respond but she shushed him._

_"You only show so much, my son. That's my doing and I am sorry for it. But this girl- I can see that she makes you question your intentions," she moved forward again. "And your two greatest fears are losing her and having her not feel the same way you do. Am I correct?"_

_When he stayed silent, she continued._

_"Tonight marks the third quarter before the solstice. I'm certain Garnet plans to murder Bill Forbes in the woods near the cemetery."_

_"That's awfully specific," he muttered._

_"Witches talk, Klaus. I know for a fact that this is a sacrifice that will plague Caroline until the night of the ritual. If you let him die, you just might lose her before getting to have her."_

_Klaus clenched his fists. "Why should I believe anything that comes out of your mouth?"_

_"Because I am your mother. You are my __**son.**__ Whether you believe me or not, I love you."_

_"I don't believe you," Klaus stated. _

_"Then go to the woods and see for yourself," she said. The dream flickered. "Do it before you lose her."_

* * *

Bonnie sighed as she followed Kol to the receptionist desk. They had asked a few local witches to no avail. None of them had seen the witch named Miranda.

"This is hopeless," she whispered as Kol paid the clerk. Once he received the room key, he responded with a vague answer.

"When they reached the room, Bonnie halted. "One room?"

Kol raised his eyebrows. "I just figured that this would make both of our lives easier. What if a masked murderer entered your room late at night?"

She slapped his arm. "Shut up. You're lucky that I'm so tired- otherwise I might put up a big fight."

"Please. Like you could take me."

She gave him a look and he shut his mouth.

"That's what I thought," she said, plucking the key out of his hand and swiping it. Just as she'd suspected, there was only one bed.

If she didn't know any better, she assumed he was trying to sleep with her- in more ways than one.

"I get the bed, you get the floor."

"What?" Kol exclaimed. "No way, we share or no one gets the bed."

"You're acting like a child!" Bonnie said.

"I am not sleeping on this floor."

"Should've thought of that before you bought a room with only one bed!"

They glared at each other, neither backing down. She suppressed a yawn.

_Oh, what wrong could it do to share? _Bonnie thought.

_Um... A lot. A lot of things could go wrong._

After a few more seconds of debating, she broke.

"Fine. We share. But I'm putting a pillow between us so you don't try something funny."

Kol smirked. His actions were getting the exact reaction he wanted from her. "Yes ma'am."

* * *

Pale moonlight adorned the scenery as Caroline walked slowly throughout the woods, a hand never leaving the nearby tree trunks. The last thing she needed was to get lost.

She realized this was probably one of the stupidest things she had ever done. Not to mention her dreams were growing more frequent and violent. But she had to do whatever she could to save her father.

The woman in her dreams had said this was the only way to do it- she had to try.

In the distance, a howl echoed causing Caroline to stop short.

_Bet you didn't think that you would have a run-in with wolves?_

For a moment, she hesitated moving forward. Would it be wise to put herself in danger over one dream? Curiosity killed the cat and that was a concept she wasn't rather fond with.

_If you don't go he'll die,_ her inner voice said.

Giving in, she continued walking until she reached the outskirts of the local cemetery. The place had always given her the creeps. It definitely wasn't her scene- this place was reserved for potheads like Vicki Donovan.

There was a pang of guilt at that thought. Vicki had died and here she was; talking about her like she had never known her- like she had never found her lifeless corpse.

"Caroline?"

Her eyes shifted, "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Klaus said, stepping forward.

"Someone told me to be here, Klaus."

His posture was rigid as he moved in her direction. Their eyes never wavered as he stopped right in front of her- close enough where Caroline could feel his body heat emanating.

"It's possible that my mother played us both," he said.

"Her eyebrows crinkled. "Your mother?"

"Blonde. Cold stare. A raging bitch. I take it she's the one that visited you in your dreams?"

Her silence confirmed his suspicions as another wolf howled in the distance.

Taking one look around he let out a breath. "We have to get out of these woods. It's not safe for you."

When he made the move to grab a hold of her arm she side-stepped, shaking her head.

"Stop. You don't own me," she said. "I can take care of myself. I've been training with Bonnie in Witch 101 for defense."

"Caroline, I've been alive for a thousand years. That's long enough to see that _one_ lone witch isn't powerful enough to take on a pack of anything."

"He's right. One witch isn't enough."

Both heads turned in the direction in which the voice had come from.

The raven haired woman came forward. "But a coven of witches- that's enough to take on an entire pack of wolves or vampires."

As if on signal, more witches stepped out from the shadows, surrounding Caroline and Klaus.

"Do you have any idea who I am?" Klaus asked, moving away from Caroline.

"You're Klaus. The hybrid," the woman said. "You don't scare me, though."

Her eyes flickered to Caroline. "We're not here to try to kill you. We can't. But her- her we can kill."

Caroline's eyes widened. "Why?"

"You're a threat to the balance of nature. After what happened with the Original Witch, we can't risk another imbalance."

"We know what Garnet plans to do," another said.

Caroline gulped. "I just want my father back."

"Your father is far from saving."

There was a crackle and then the world bursted in flames around Caroline.

Her heart raced from the heat. Out of panic she flailed her hand, trying to find a connection- anything to stop the engulfing flames from reaching her body.

She saw Klaus' eyes shift, his irises becoming a golden color, veins popping out as his teeth shifted as well.

She lost all hope of peace the moment he flashed to the raven haired witch and bit roughly into her neck. The woman's piercing scream was all it took for Caroline to stop trying and actually do something.

The ring of fire that surrounded her dispersed in all directions. By the sound of multiple screams, she could tell some of the witches had caught fire.

Klaus moved fast, snapping necks without thinking or without remorse. It was a defense mechanism he'd learned to work with since his first massacre. But the more he killed, the more witches that seemed to appear.

The fire had died out and Caroline let her guard down to assess the damage done. Through the remaining smoke she really couldn't make out anything. Suddenly, another witch grabbed a hold of Caroline's hair, moving her back then shoving her forward.

Caroline hit the ground harshly, the wind getting knocked out of her further as the witch kicked her ribs. She groaned but acted quickly. As the woman went for another blow, Caroline grabbed her ankle, pulling her down to the ground.

Scrambling to get up, Caroline watched as the woman rolled to grab a hold of her again. Out of instinct,, Caroline let her fist launch into the woman's face.

_Holy crap,_ Caroline thought giddily._ I just punched someone..._

Groaning, the woman lashed out, her nails coming in contact with Caroline's forehead.

Caroline yelped, her eyes shutting in pain as she felt hands grab her shoulders and pull her back. This time, she heard a male's voice talking to the other witch and she struggled to get away from him, twisting to loosen his grip. Once she was loose, she blindly grabbed a handful of soil, dispersing it in all directions.

One of them hissed as the other reached for her again. Something inside of her built up and she shouted, letting her powers take over. Her two offenders screamed and yelled as they were thrown back against the tree trunks, their bodies impaled by the branches.

Caroline shook her head, closing her eyes once again at the bloody sight. Her hands shook immensely.

As the last body dropped, Klaus turned to Caroline. She didn't say anything as they both stared at the bodies lying on the ground.

At the realization of what she had done, Caroline's body began to tremble.

_I killed somebody, _she assessed in panic. _I'm a murderer._

Klaus saw her eyes get watery as her posture shook.

"Caroline?" he was gentle as he grabbed her shoulders. He could see that she was so close to breaking down completely but what could he say? He'd never been the type to comfort people. He wasn't sure if there was anything he _could_ do to make this better.

"Caroline?" he repeated.

"I just _killed_ people."

He swallowed. "They would've killed you- there wasn't any other choice-"

She shook her head, her eyes meeting his. There was something unreadable about them. "There's always a choice."

Shrugging out of his grasp, she put her hand over her mouth to keep from sobbing.

The remorse was suffocating. Despite the truth in Klaus' words, it didn't soften the guilt or the fact that she had actually killed a handful of people.

She shut her eyes. After a moment she felt warm arms embrace her.

Opening her eyes she realized that it was Klaus who was holding her tightly. Although she was pretty sure that he had never comforted anyone before, she accepted it; finding a strange solace of peace in his grasp.

_"What have I done?"_

The guilt in her voice only angered him. He hadn't wanted her to be this way- to be a killer the way he was.

Klaus had hoped to keep her untainted by the demons that plagued him. It seemed like that had all gone down the drain.

"You were just defending yourself. It isn't like you purposely wanted them dead, Caroline."

"That doesn't make me feel any better," she whispered, shrugging out of his grasp, composing herself.

Taking one look around, she wiped her tears away.

"Who could have sent them?" Caroline asked, examining the various dead bodies that were scattered across the vicinity.

Klaus shrugged. "Whoever it was had to be another witch. A coven this big must've listened to a trustee."

"Yeah but who?" she said, tugging on her sleeve and placing it gently on her forehead. The contact of cloth to the open cut made her wince.

"Ouch."

"Caroline. Let me heal you-"

"I'm fine," she croaked a bit too quickly. She stared at him and sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just..I'm not comfortable with the whole vampire blood solution."

His lips twitched. "I'm not trying to get you to turn, love. I just don't want to see you in pain."

"Why do you care so much?"

There was a beat as he assessed her question. Things were still painfully awkward between them and he didn't exactly know how to break down the fourth wall.

"Because you're important to me," Klaus confessed.

"You mean to say, because I'm needed in order to take down Bloody Mary."

"No; because you're important to me," he reiterated.

Caroline swallowed. The tension in the air was suffocating. Panicking, she cleared her throat.

"We should go before anybody else tries to kill me."

She bit her lip.

"Us."

Klaus pursed his lips, nodding. As much as he'd like to confess to her the entire truth of the situation and of his feelings, the timing wasn't right. Everything was so delicate and he had to keep reminding himself that Caroline was still just a girl.

She wasn't ready to deal with his one-sided affection. He was uncertain if she even felt the things he felt.

* * *

"They're dead," Miranda exasperated as she paced back and forth.

Beside her Bill Forbes was taking his last breaths. He could go at any moment.

"The girl?" a male witch asked.

"No, you idiot. The coven- Klaus slaughtered them."

Bill shifted, coughing up crimson liquid. "Caroline..." he murmured.

Miranda's eyes blinked. "If he... If he dies before we get what we need-"

"Garnet will find out about your little plan, Miranda." Devin stated. "You want to kill Caroline when my sister specifically said she was off-limits."

"I am a witch," Miranda rebounded. "A servant of nature. For a thousand years nature has found a way to cope with the vampires. I don't want to mess with that balance, Lord Devin."

"I know," he said.

"Garnet- she has other intentions. I know what she said but her actions... She's planning something bigger, I know she is."

"We will find a way to halt it," Devin said again. He'd played the double-agent role well. Making sure that his sister believed he had her back.

Truthfully, Devin just wanted to move on- to die and pass on. To not remain in exile within the Otherside.

He wanted peace.

Unfortunately, he and Garnet were two halves of a whole. She could not resurrect herself without him, much to both of their dismay.

"How? You can't shift into a werewolf. And now we have to go through with the ritual. There- There won't be another chance to kill her-"

"Calm down," Devin said. "We will figure this out before the ritual."

Miranda's soft eyes glistened. She was frustrated with the way she had been roped into it. She had never wanted any of this mess.

It seemed that the past really could come back to haunt you.

"I hope so," she spoke, her gaze shifting to the man on the bed, feeling his life force grow weaker by the minute.

* * *

"Mom?" Caroline called, shutting her front door behind her. When there was no answer, she assumed her mom had taken the night shift.

Sighing, she made her way to the bathroom, making a face of disgust at her reflection. Her clothes and face were covered in soot and smeared with blood. The cut on her forehead had ceased to bleed but was still red.

"Disgusting," she mumbled, peeling off her jacket and tossing it aside. She swallowed thickly, her appearance serving as a reminder of what she had done. Of whom she had practically slaughtered.

_It was self-defense,_ her reasoning side said.

_No, it was slaughter,_ her conscience countered.

After showing and changing into fresh clothes, she made her way downstairs and to the kitchen in search of comfort food. She took a tub of ice cream from the freezer and frowned. The container was sticky from past servings. She sighed, placing on the counter and moving to wash her hands.

Her forehead stung like crazy but she didn't want to see how bad it must've been puckering. She moved to grab a hand towel but paused, looking at the palm of her hand.

Almost like a fading scar, there was a symbol etched on her skin. Her heart beat rapidly as she took a closer look at it.

There on her palm was the faint tracing of a pentagram.

"What?" she mumbled, closing and opening her hand repeatedly, hoping it was just a hallucination. Hoping that her killing wasn't permanently branded on her for remembrance.

"Congratulations."

Caroline whisked around, coming in contact with the woman who had sent her to the woods in the first place.

"What do you want?" Caroline questioned.

Esther ignored her questions. Instead, she kept staring at Caroline's hand.

"I see you earned your mark."

"What does it mean? What is it?"

"When a witch kills twelve of her own, she is marked- a part of her becomes darker. More lenient to her desires. More keen on dark magic."

Caroline swallowed. "I didn't kill them all."

"Nevertheless, you are something special. An angel."

"So?" Caroline still didn't exactly comprehend the whole angel thing. It was all too confusing.

"I must warn you, even angels can be drawn to the darkness."

"I'm not going to do that," Caroline stated. "I'm not like that."

"You don't find the darkness even the least bit intriguing?"

Caroline remained silent.

"What more could a fallen angel want other than freedom and power? To have no rules- nothing binding you... I assume the feeling is liberating."

"Haven't you ever felt the least bit misunderstood, dearest Caroline? Confound? Silenced? Tamed?"

The woman's image flickered and something inside of Caroline stirred.

_No_, she thought slowly.

"I know what you're trying to do and it's not going to work," Caroline rasped.

_Well, I might._ She thought silently. Her will could only endure so much and what the woman was saying was true. Most of her life had been a cautionary tale because of her dad's sickness.

A part of Caroline yearned to be free, to belong to herself and no one else.

"Isn't it? It's what Miranda said before she gave in to Expressionism long ago."

"Who?" Caroline asked, confused.

The woman stared at her. "Miranda was the one to send the coven tonight. I can assure you that she isn't the only one that wants you dead."

"But why?"

"Because your very presence has the potential to upset the balance of nature. Most witches and other supernatural creatures will come after you, Caroline. if you knew what was good for you, you would lend yourself to your powers- to the dark side where they aren't controlled."

Esther's body began to fade and Caroline neglected every word.

"Wait-"

"It's your choice," Esther said before fading completely.

The feeling in Caroline's stomach returned. It was a stirring, a yearning to be free. Everything the woman had said was true no matter how much she wanted to deny it. From her reasoning, she knew she _couldn't _allow herself to feel those things. She knew that she had a responsibility to uphold. She had to save her father. She had to end what she had stupidly started because-

Because she had been _weak._

That was the only reason Garnet was alive. She had played Caroline like a violin because she was a stupid naive little girl who hadn't known any better.

_You know the solution to being weak,_ a voice in her head said.

Caroline bit her lip. _No. I won't do it. I won't cave in anymore. I can't._

* * *

**And that concludes chapter 11. Confused yet? Review and let me know! The next chapter should be up sometime next week. Bear with me, guys. There's some major romance coming up... Guess who it involves ;)**

**-Fanatic4Fiction**


End file.
